Null and Void
by liar.faker
Summary: Caroline Forbes (soon-to-be-Lockwood) is one of the best divorce attorneys in Chicago. She tears unfaithful husbands to pieces, ready to fight for her friend, a rising star Katherine Pierce who wants to divorce Damon Salvatore, a famous photographer. Little does she know that Damon hired a ruthless and successful lawyer Klaus Mikaelson. A divorce may be the least of their problems.
1. make law not war

**null and void**

—

**1.**

**make law not war**

—

Glasses clatter as people raise their drinks. Yet another crushed divorce case. Once again this blonde petite girl has torn an unfaithful husband to pieces leaving him without money, without house, and without hope. No, not her own husband. Caroline Forbes (soon-to-be-Lockwood) is a divorce attorney, one of the best (and the youngest) lawyers in Chicago. Don't let that pink nail polish mislead you.

''To Caroline!'' Bonnie announces. ''For kicking another unfaithful ass!''

''Sometimes I think proposing to such a fighter was a mistake.'' Tyler wraps an arm around her waist and looks at Caroline, his eyes full of appreciation and pride. His Westwood suit fits him like a glove—a very, _very_ expensive glove. It's Tyler's middle name, Expensive. (Or maybe it's Hot, Caroline can't decide.) As Tyler puts it, a suit is his armour. As a junior financial adviser he's having a permanent dress code, because _men always meet other men in suits_. He doesn't care the garment was blatantly disregarded by such great minds like Steve Jobs. He doesn't care that _suits_ mean _conformists_. There's no such thing as Casual Friday on his agenda.

Since Caroline's parents' failure of a marriage, when her father left her and her mother for Steven, a car mechanic from San Francisco, Caroline Forbes wanted to get her revenge. She wanted a weapon, but one with style, without causing actual bloodshed, a little shiny knife that cuts to the quick. So she went to Law School.

Years of studying hard and diligently and a broken heart later (Matt, a small town boy that moved to Chicago to work as a bartender would never understand her dogged determination), Caroline graduated with a motto:

**make law not war**

(law is twice as hard core)

:—:

With the din of cars honking coming from the street, Caroline is flipping through _Brides _magazine (_Find your dream wedding dress! Wedding shoes you'll want to wear! Your perfect honeymoon spot!_) when somebody knocks on her office door. She quickly shoves the magazine back in a drawer of her beautiful mahogany desk and clears her throat,

''Please come in.'' At least she tries to look busy, even though she's spent all day in the lacy world of Brideland. The door opens, and a pair of impossibly high red heels walks in. Two extremely graceful legs follow. Boobs Caroline would kill for if she didn't already like her own. And that bitch-face the whole country knows as a face of a serial killer. Yes, ladies and gentleman, it's Katherine Pierce herself, an actress, a rising star, a top-notch name on a silver screen right now.

She also happens to be Caroline's best school friend.

''Oh. My. Goodness!'' The blonde squeals and jumps up from her seat, while Katherine runs to meet her halfway, and so they _trot_ towards each other, still screaming with joy.

''I can't believe it!'' Caroline throws her arms around an old friend.

''It's been ages.'' Katherine purrs in her famous low and sexy-shmexy voice. ''But look at you, Miss Divorce-You-All!''

''Look at you, Mrs. Kill-You-All.'' Caroline laughs.

''I am faking it on the screen, but you are ruining men's life for real!'' Katherine admits, not without admiration. She used to ruin boys in high school—forget it, she even ruined _teachers_. But then she met Damon Salvatore—yes, THE Damon Salvatore—and she became a lionized celebrity. And so a quickie in an elevator turned into an engagement ring, and then into a wedding of the year: a quick tempered lady and a quick-witted man. Young, beautiful, brilliant, living happily ever after, or so it seemed.

''So, what brings you here?'' Caroline gives Katherine a concerned smile.

''Sadly, business.''

''Oh no.''

:—:

''Damn my eyes! Damon Salvatore! What brings you here, mate?'' Klaus takes his feet off the desk and greets his drinking buddy that settled down a few years ago ending their crazy bar-raids as a result. They used to drink through the supplies of any bar that was on their way. Jack Daniels on the rocks was their best friend those days, and Klaus almost got expelled from Law School for his barmy, crackpot lifestyle.

But Klaus Mikaelson was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and a middle finger stuck to the world. He used to outwit every lecturer during his studies, and eventually outdid all of his colleagues graduating with the best results. He celebrated his victory with a bottle of whiskey on the roof of his university, shouting at the top of his lungs that he could wipe his ass with the Juris Doctor degree.

Like everything that comes without a fight, it didn't matter anything to him.

''Before we go for a drink or two, Klaus, I need to know one thing.'' Damon didn't change. Always straight to the point.

''Shoot.''

''Will you divorce me? I mean, you know.'' Damon's face suddenly becomes sour, and it's not just one lemon, it's a whole shipment—definitely too much to just make lemonade. That is the last thing Klaus would expect from Damon the Happy Husband. He thoughtfully drags a hand over his face.

''I think we'll need more than just one drink.''

:—:

''I want him crushed! Destroyed! Crucified!'' Katherine's fist slams down on Caroline's desk making the lawyer jump. ''Sorry.''

''That's okay. It's your decision that shocks me. You two seemed perfect for each other. I remember your wedding.'' Yes, she remembers it too well. She went with Matt who couldn't handle his liquor, so it was a total disaster. But the wedding itself was excellent, beautiful, moving, and perfect, just like the newlyweds.

Katherine bites her lip, her jaw tightens, her nostrils flare. She's sitting there perfectly still, with her long legs crossed as well as her arms, but Caroline can see there's a storm raging inside her.

''I want you to make him bite the dust. I want to see him in the gutter.''

''What happened, Kat?'' Katherine's divorce feels almost as painful as Caroline's parents'.

''Damon—He—I mean—'' She takes a deep breath, and looks Caroline right in the eyes. ''I'm pretty sure he cheated on me.''

It falls onto Caroline like a piano from the ninth floor. She can feel the pieces of shattered glass coming down on her smashed form.

That bastard. She wrinkles her nose. ''Don't worry. He'll get what he deserves.''

:—:

''A psychotic, insanely jealous—'' Damon downs his whiskey in one huge gulp. Klaus raises his glass and follows in Damon's footsteps. He shakes his head when the burning sensation travels down his throat.

''I gave her everything I had!'' A glass hits the table with a clank. ''Everything. But it was never enough. Selfish, manipulative—''

''I almost regret I didn't get to know her.'' Klaus laughs and tilts his head back, staring absently at the ceiling of his luxurious office. It's simple but classy, with a comfortable black leather couch (suitable for two, just in case he wants to stay _overnight_) and Klaus takes great pride in his huge, Resolute desk. It's all about money, isn't it? Dead presidents that rule the world. He could sleep under a blanket made of dollars patched together, every day a new one.

''Yeah, by the way, why didn't you come to our wedding? God, I hate to even mention that day. The biggest mistake of my life.''

''Family affairs. But I saw some photos in the magazines, you did choose a horrible tie.''

Damon refills their glasses.

''Cheers. To horrible mistakes.'' Klaus smirks. Of course he feels bad for Damon, but now, when they sit and drink cursing the whole world, it's just like the good old times.

''Yeah. I'm great at that, just never missing a chance for an epic failure.'' Klaus' guest nods to the glass like it's the only thing in the world that understands his pain. He's right—Klaus doesn't, but he'll help him get his revenge.

''Down the hatch.''

:—:

''So, how did you meet your golden boy?'' Katherine spins around in a swivel chair. She's such a little girl sometimes. Her dark curls, soft and shiny like from a shampoo commercial, revolve with her.

''I was his mother's attorney while she was divorcing his father.'' Caroline's telling the story for the thousandth time in her life. She knows exactly what Katherine's reaction will be.

Caroline Forbes was just a rookie then, but a very determined one, and Carol Lockwood, the Mayor's wife, just reached a deadlock. Like the old saying dictates, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, mostly because Caroline didn't know what she was getting into. She didn't get scared and bravely tackled the case. Call it beginner's luck, or maybe lack of any inhibitions (because for Caroline it doesn't matter whether it's a popular politician, Chris Brown or a simple plumber—any man that breaks a woman's heart or skin should be punished) but despite being a rookie, she won the case boosting her client's career. Six months later Carol Lockwood was elected the Mayor of Chicago instead of her ex-husband. During a victory party Carol introduced her son to Caroline, and one thing led to another.

Tyler, with his regular jaw and perfectly tailored suit (did you know that the jacket's lapels can be notched aka "stepped", peaked aka "pointed", shawl, or "trick"?), proposed to Caroline after eight months of being together. Romantic dinner, candles, Tiffany's, violin, sweet-talk and _will you marry me?_

''You were _the_ attorney of Richard Lockwood's wife?'' Her friend's eyes get big like saucers. _Score_.

''He knew all the lawyers in the city. She needed someone young, naïve, and desperate enough to risk everything and take that case.''

''Incredible,'' Katherine's satisfied grin spreads from ear to ear, ''you managed to rip the enemy army to shreds.''

''Yes, I did.''

Katherine laughs and claps her well-manicured hands. French style, nothing flashy. ''Well, soon-to-be Mrs. Lockwood, I want you on my side. Be a bitch and help me, like in the good old times?''

Caroline beams at her. ''High five sister, we'll make him crawl.''

:—:

Tyler places a quick kiss on her nose, and buttons up his shirt. This is how their life looks like. Dinner, cab, sex at Caroline's, a peck on the nose and _I have to go, you know my mother._ Right. His mother. Caroline shouldn't complain, really, after all almost every girl on this planet dreams of acceptance coming from her mother-in-law. Carol Lockwood adores Caroline with all her kindness, yet she's a strict mother and a conservative politician. Her only son will not live with his girlfriend under the same roof until they marry. _It's for the best, Tyler, _she says. _As a wedding gift I picked a lovely apartment for you two_, she announces. _It's just a few blocks away! We'll see each other every day, isn't it fantastic? _She gushes.

''Sure, go,'' Caroline hisses. He never stays overnight. No matter how tough she is in court, no matter how many husbands she can chase away, she still feels lonely in an empty bed at night. She dreams of waking up next to the man of her life, having breakfast together, showering with the same body wash so they can both smell like strawberries or ginger or vanilla. All those things that should constitute a lovers' routine are completely alien to her.

She can't even keep a cat because Tyler's allergic to fur.

''When we're married you'll be seeing my unshaven face ever morning. You'll kick me out after a month, I'm sure.'' Tyler jokes stroking her messy blonde curls. Caroline just rolls her eyes. She hears the same old song every day. When they're married he'll belong only to her. When they're married he'll spend every night with her. When they're married his mother won't be poking her thin Republican nose into their affairs.

When they are married. Six months left, Care, only six months.

Tyler kisses her goodbye, long and passionately, and Caroline's anger subsides a bit. Just when she's about to smile and forget about Carol Lockwood, the Mayor deals the final blow.

''Mom wants you to give a speech during her charity ball this Saturday.''

Kicked, stabbed, knocked out.

''Why me?'' _Why Jesus, why?!_

''Because there will be a lot of lawyers, so a familiar face should convince them to donate.''

''But...'' She stutters fiddling with the white sheet wrapped around her body. ''I have this case I need to prepare myself for, you know, Katherine's getting divorced, so I'll have a lot of work and this ball—''

Tyler gives her a grave look. ''Caroline. It's my mother.''

Of course. It's always his mother.

:—:

''I want to see her suffer!'' Damon viciously stabs the steak on his plate with a silver fork. ''I want her to cry her heart out!'' Klaus just smirks and chews on his meat. Yesterday they had an opportunity to catch up, today it's strictly business.

The restaurant is close to Klaus' office, just round the corner. It also happens to be close to Caroline's office. So when Katherine and Caroline stride in with clicking of the heels, Damon chokes on the food.

''What is he doing here?!'' Katherine covers her mouth and hisses, pretending not to see her poor excuse of a husband. Caroline glances at him from the corner of her eye.

''Act cool.'' The blonde commands. So they nonchalantly stroll to a table by the window, swaying their hips and keeping their heads high.

Damon's lip curls upwards. ''What the hell is she doing here?''

Klaus' eyes dart to two beautiful women sitting across the room. The dark-haired fiend looks too familiar even to Klaus, but the blonde accompanying her is quite a vision.

''Oh no,'' Damon whines, ''and she's with Blondiezaurus.'' Klaus can't stop himself from laughing out loud at his friend's comment.

''What's so funny, idiot?'' Katherine mutters under her nose when she sees Damon and Klaus cackling madly.

''You know that other guy?'' Caroline surely doesn't. Katherine nods her head with disgust.

''Klaus Mikaelson, a pest.''

''Who's the blonde?'' Klaus reaches for his glass of red wine. The girl has a curious look on her face as she prods at a vegetable salad with her fork.

''Caroline Forbes, Miss Legally Blonde.'' Damon rolls his eyes.

''Are you serious? She's a lawyer?''

''What do you think those two witches are doing there? Plotting my slow and painful death in a courtroom!''

Caroline catches Damon's friend staring at her, smirking, giving her the creeps. Big Bad Wolf seems to be doing everything he can to make her feel like Little Red Riding Hood. She knows that look, she knows it well. It's the very same look she used to receive from her mother, then from her classmates, then from her lecturers—the look saying, _you're too weak to enter this world_. But she showed them. And she'll show this, this... _pest_, that he's very much mistaken. Very much.

Caroline straightens up in her chair and puffs her chest, brushing her perfect golden locks off her shoulder.

''Mikaelson may be good, but not only am I better, my dear. I am _the best!_'' Caroline winks at her. Katherine's been complaining and panicking about him being a pit bull among lawyers.

''I want her broken and devastated!'' Damon still rages with his mouth full of meat and salad. Klaus squints his eyes at his legal opponent. Too bad he has to defeat such a pretty face.

''No problem mate, she'll beg for mercy.''

''Don't worry Kat. I'll be the iceberg to his Titanic.''

:—:

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**A/N**: Like I wrote on tumblr, I'm **not** abandoning Paradise for the Lost. It's still priority.

This story was born in really sad circumstances when everyone around me was getting divorced including one of my closest friends whose perfect marriage was falling apart. But it won't be a tear jerker, k? Don't worry.

So tell me: Yes? No? Go to Hell?


	2. Caveat emptor

**IMPORTANT A/N YOU HAVE TO READ IT OR ELSE YOUR COMPUTER WILL EXPLODE: **

Guys! Guys! Guys! ...guys? I'm so glad you're still with me after 3 months of waiting... I'm so sorry. But I promise to be good to you from now on, and I have a surprise for you, too.

But first I want to thank my wonderful beta **Ashley aka Deej aka jomosfamilyjewels**. She's amazing, and I have a bro-crush on her, so yeah. You'll see why when you read the rest of my author's note.

Ashley and I are co-writing a **Klaroline/TVD soap opera fic called _The Vixens and The Vamps. _**It's pure comedy, and our sole purpose is to make you laugh till you can't breathe. We have so much fun brainstorming and writing it, we have so much goodness and crazy stuff you'll all freak out. So check it out on our **SoapFactory account on FF! **

* * *

**2.**

**Caveat emptor:** let the buyer beware.

* * *

This is one of those days, Caroline thinks, one of those days when nothing goes as planned. The wedding planner she hired is as useless as a chocolate teapot. And as if the wedding wasn't enough, she has Katherine's divorce and Carol Lockwood's charity party on her plate. It's enough to feed three Carolines, yet she has to deal with all of this on her own.

Her inner control freak is raging as she trots on her incredibly high heels to the office across the street where Klaus "Pest" Mikaelson currently works. Their first meeting is supposed to happen without the interested parties, and their secretaries arranged a meeting in his office. It is Caroline's favourite stratagem, going into the enemy camp to reconnoiter the ground. It's never just the lawyer's client, it's the lawyer _himself_ you have to fight.

We all know that all's fair in love and war. Divorce is both.

With her phone in one hand and a file with Katherine's conditions in the other, staring straight ahead, she marches into the office building so energetically people's heads turn in her direction with awe. She's so focused on her task that she doesn't notice Damon's friend standing by the reception desk. He smirks as she walks past him, yelling at her pink iPhone.

"I couldn't care less if they got a better offer, they've already signed the memorandum!" Her shoulders heave with irritation. "No, I am not changing anything. I've been planning my wedding since I was eight! Tell them I will sue their sorry asses if I have to!" She angrily taps the red button and hangs up.

Klaus takes a moment to appreciate the blonde's good looks as she stands in the lounge waiting for an elevator to come down. A pair of black impressively high heels (how the hell women can walk in them? Is this some kind of magic? Do they make a deal with the devil?), a formal simple purple knee-length dress, and blonde curls cascading past her shoulders. He can't say he isn't pleased with an opponent who isn't a man suffering from a middle-age crisis for a change. In his field, not exactly the divorce-and-drama one, he's stuck in a rut with old stagers or young ambitious rookies. A pretty little lawyer-wannabe will be a nice break from the world where testosterone runs high. Easy peasy, he grins and walks up to her.

"Not a very good morning, I see." Caroline hears a British accent coming from behind her back, but keeps her curiosity at bay and doesn't move. She just waits for him to get closer and stand next to her, and then she spares him a glance.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." She sends him a tight smile while quickly examining his features. Two days ago in the restaurant she couldn't see his face from close-up. She didn't expect him to be British, Katherine didn't say a word about it, but this would explain the feeling of superiority that he wears like a second suit. All it takes is just one look to see he's an arrogant bastard... even if he's got cute dimples when he smiles.

"Klaus Mikaelson." He introduces himself and waits for her to extend a hand, which she does. Etiquette.

"Caroline Forbes."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Forbes."

"Oh, I doubt it." She mockingly bats her long eyelashes and shakes her head, silently wondering how he knows about the 'Miss' part, but she comes to a conclusion that Damon must have filled him in. Or it's the lack of a wedding ring on her finger. Damn, she's over analyzing, isn't she? Hush!

Before Klaus can respond, the door opens and they step into the elevator. Remembering that his office is on the twelfth floor she reaches to push the button, and so, out of habit, does Klaus. Their fingers meet on the button, and Caroline jerks her hand back like she got electrocuted. Klaus smirks under his nose.

"Objection overruled."

Caroline rolls her eyes. Lame courtroom jokes so soon? Seriously?

:–:

A few silent and awkward minutes in the confined space later, after Caroline was doing her best not to look at him while his dimples were smiling at her all the time, they say hello to Klaus' secretary, Rose, and finally get in to his office. Again, it doesn't look like she expected. It doesn't have a glass wall like any other office in the building, but a normal one and the solid door with a silver plate on it. Seems like he's not into this whole modern design mojo. When he opens the door for her ("Ladies first.") Caroline's eyes get big like saucers: he's pretty classy for an arrogant bastard. Antique furniture and works of art on the walls, a leather couch and a first class, large Resolute desk next to the window that's overlooking the city. The image of her own office–which is everything Klaus' office is not–pops up in her mind: minimalistic style, a lot of glass and light materials, bright colors. His room, on the other hand, can be described as wood and gold. Just one glance and Caroline knows they are worlds apart. Everything about her screams a modern American girl while he's a British to the bone gentleman. (The 'gentleman' part is of course arguable, but still, it's what appearances say.)

"Coffee? It's still early in the morning. I don't know about you, but I'm not exactly a morning person." He offers with a charming smile playing on his stubble-covered face, but Caroline sits down on a guest chair in front of his desk and crosses her legs.

"Let's get down to business, shall we?"

For a split second Klaus' eyes stop on her legs, too short to linger but long enough to note how shapely they are, and then he nods, "As you wish." Undoing the only button of his navy jacket, he sits down across the table. The light blue shirt does suit his grayish blue eyes, she thinks, but quickly chases the thought away. She's on a mission here, not to ogle a Brit.

To her surprise he doesn't have any folder with documents, he just sits there looking at her expectantly. As much as she doesn't want to admit it, it throws her off balance a little.

Caroline runs the tip of her tongue along her lower lip, and Klaus can't help but follow its movement. "First of all, I think we both know that so called 'no-fault' divorce is off limits, and so are irreconcilable differences." She recites, then puts her hands on her knees, straightens up like a best student in class, and waits for Klaus' reaction.

He nods, "Absolutely."

"So, my clients' grounds for divorce are as follows: habitual drunkenness, mental cruelty, and of course adultery."

"I agree."

She frowns at him confused, but continues, "And there's the problem of claims to property since they didn't sign any prenuptial agreement."

"The winner takes it all, I assume?" Klaus quips.

"Correct."

He puts his hands together in front of his face, his fingertips lightly touching his rosy lips. He looks like a praying saint when he says, "Seems fair."

Fair? Caroline gives him a quizzical look. Is this man Klaus Mikaelson she heard about, or is this some kind of a joke? Is he that ruthless attorney, a real bulldozer among the lawyers? Or is he just a wolf in sheep's clothing?

"And the losing party is paying punitive damages."

"Of course."

"And in case of proven defamation, additional twenty thousand dollars of a fine. For charity."

"Only twenty? I'd demand fifty."

Klaus wears a mask of self-control that Tibetan monks could only dream of. He stares at her, waiting for the last straw that is going to break the camel's back. She's almost there, he can see it. Oh how he loves to play this game. Of course he had an advantage from the start–the blonde has been irritated since early morning. An easy target and less of a challenge, but well, you can't have everything.

Caroline's eyes bore into his face searching for some clues. Is this his modus operandi? He's so calm, like a marble statue, still and silent. And so...disturbingly compliant. The picture Katherine painted was a different one.

She spies with her little eye something beginning with L. Like a LIE. That's it, she thinks, and she decides she'll go all Basic Instinct on him if she has to. Caroline uncrosses her legs, and then crosses them again. Klaus' eyebrow twitches–almost imperceptibly, but her observant eye notices every detail of his angelic features.

Yes, his brazenly flippant way of dealing with her was nothing but a declaration of war.

"Well then," she says smoothing her dress, "this is enough for today, I guess." And she gets up from the chair and gracefully turns to leave. Klaus has to admit, she has moves like a ballet dancer. Elegant, light, and effortless.

"Excuse me? We haven't even gotten into details yet." He raises his eyebrows at her. They both know he's faking disappointment–but not too much, Klaus has a feeling the blonde is smarter than she looks.

"When you have enough pluck to show your true face, maybe I'll spare you a moment of my precious time, Mr. Mikaelson." She walks up to the door. Klaus stands up and holds onto the lapels of his designer suit.

"What did you expect, Miss Forbes?" He asks, a corner of his mouth mockingly raised.

Caroline boldly lifts her chin up. "I expected a ruthless and tenacious professional."

"Looks like my reputation precedes me." His smirk turns into a wide, smug grin.

"But instead I met a disrespectful megalomaniac who thinks he's _hilarious."_

"Oh but I do. It was a test. You've passed." He announces like she was an apprentice, not an attorney. She would love to punch him right in that button-like nose and wipe that dimpled smile of his...

But no, she can't let him put a damper on her day...Right?

"Well thank you, _sensei."_ Caroline mocks him as she bows keeping her hands straight to her sides. "But I'm too smart to let you provoke me."

"I'll take it as a challenge, _love."_

Ugh! She just knew she should have switched from yoga to kung-fu long time ago! Her anger management skills aren't as good as they used to be. She angrily narrows her eyes at him, but before she can chew him out and spit back on the dark brown carpet in his office, a scream shrills suddenly in the office hallway, "I WILL KILL YOU!" Klaus and Caroline exchange a shocked look and dash out of the room.

What meets their eyes beats anything they could've imagined or expected. It is actually Katherine straddling Damon that's lying on the floor, his face contorted with rage. Katherine's hands are firmly clutching at her husband's throat choking him. Caroline gasps as she sees Damon reach out and grab Katherine's shining dark locks, then he pulls at them forcefully. His wife jerks backwards and lets out a painful shriek.

"You bastard!" She scrambles off the floor arching her back like a feral cat and prepares to make a predatory lunge for Damon. Just when she's about to leap forward, a pair of delicate hands yanks her back.

"Are you crazy?!" Caroline yells at her friend that keeps trying to free herself and attack Damon again. Klaus keeps Damon pinned to the ground, struggling to hold him down.

"Let me go!" Katherine growls. "I'll just kill him and then we can have lunch."

"I hope you choke on your diet salad, you psychotic who–"

"Whoa!" Klaus shakes his friend. "Easy, mate!" Damon is fuming, panting, glowering at his wife.

The lawyers drag their clients away from each other. Caroline can already see Damon's argument in court saying his wife tried to kill him. The last thing Katherine, an actress playing a serial killer, wants is being charged with attempted murder.

Nobody in the whole world can despise you so fiercely like your spouse. Pure, unadulterated, boiling hate. Like ancient Greeks once said, this is marriage.

: – :

"I had to drag her away! Can you imagine it?" Caroline rants and raves in the bathroom of her apartment while struggling to zip up her long light-green strapless dress. The charity parties Carol Lockwood throws are so elitist. As much as Caroline loves to dress up and shine, her future mother-in-law is too stuck-up to make it fun.

"Which tie should I pick?" Tyler stands in front of a tall looking glass and puts a black one against the dark green shirt he's wearing. Tilting his head to the side he frowns, "Hmmm."

"Her acting on impulse will ruin the whole thing!" Caroline brandishes her mascara brush at the bathroom mirror.

"You're right, the black one."

"I just can't with her sometimes!"

"And cufflinks."

"I don't even want to think how that _pest_ is going to use it against us."

"I'm ready, Care! Come on, we can't be late." Tyler grabs her coat and waits for his fiancée, impatiently tapping his foot.

_I know, that witch will drown us in the nearest fountain if we do_, Caroline rolls her eyes and applies raspberry-pink lip gloss.

Tyler looks around the apartment. Warm relaxing colors, floral patterns here and there, bright interior, a lot of plants. What does she call that interior design? Feng-_something_. He doesn't remember, but apparently it's all the rage now.

As soon as his eyes fall on the gorgeous blonde walking towards him he doesn't give a damn about Chinese phony baloney anymore. The dress is hugging her curves in all the right places, her hips are swaying, her blonde locks tied in a low bun. She looks absolutely breathtaking.

"Wow." A grin spreads on his face. "Look at you, future Mrs. Lockwood." He holds the coat for her and watches Caroline's arms gracefully slip into its sleeves. "You will dazzle the guests tonight."

"Hopefully, with my speech. Or else the current Mrs. Lockwood will chain me to an iron chair and torture me." Caroline rolls her eyes. She wants to be considered something more than just eye candy, shallow like a kiddie pool. She didn't get into Law School because she was pretty–she had spent all her adult life proving to others that she was in fact shrewd and quite brainy. And what's the most important thing: that she was as tough as any man in the world of legal articles, the fine print, and many catches.

Tyler gives her a surprised look, like she's just told him the aliens kidnapped her years ago. Then he bursts out laughing, and rubs her shoulders up and down. "You have a peculiar sense of humor, Care."

"So I was told."

"But maybe you shouldn't come up with this kind of...absurd jokes around our guests. They won't get it, you know." He looks her in the eyes seeking understanding on her part. Caroline opens her mouth to say something, but then looks away, and when her eyes meet Tyler's again, there's just a wry smile on her face.

"Sure." _They won't be the first_, she silently adds.

:–:

Of course Carol Lockwood has to swank, flaunting her Dom Perignon White Gold Jeroboam in a elegant glass flute, parading around the Lockwood summer mansion located outside the city. If she's hosting a party, she's doing it for real, in her own house with a legion of waiters and waitresses. Like she says, charity is the most expensive thing you do for free.

This is exactly what Caroline thinks when Tyler opens the door for her. For a minute she gets blinded by a ceiling sparkling with tens of crystal chandeliers. There's a sea of suits, designer dresses, teased hair, Loubotins, and trinkets. They just love to help the poor while rubbing shoulders with honchos. Janus-faced hypocrites, and Carol Lockwood being the big enchilada, pulling the strings.

"And here they a-are!" Carol sings as she steers her way through the crowd. It couldn't be more obvious that she had one drink too many. The Mayor hugs both of them a bit too tight. "My handsome son and my beautiful future daughter-in-law!"

"You should lay off the alcohol, Mom." Tyler whispers through gritted teeth so that nobody would notice.

"Your father is here. I can either soothe my nerves with champagne, or with a knife in his back."

Caroline winces at the worrisome piece of news. Richard Lockwood hates her guts, and when she started dating Tyler, the former mayor and a successful businessman could hardly contain his anger. He's never said anything to Tyler though, he's too smart to ruin the relationship with his son. He aims his hate like a Kalashnikov straight at the blonde enemy instead.

"Mom–"

"Since Caroline is here, we can start the auction! And then let our guests party all night long." Carol nods to herself in recognition of her social skills. She pushes Caroline towards a platform and watches as the girl gets the hold of a microphone. It gives out a piercing, high-pitched sound that makes everyone clench their teeth, but then Caroline's soft voice drifts around the vast room and murmurs stop.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen." She puts on her charming Smile Number Five. Her eyes are surveying the crowd like experts survey the market. There is less ladies and even less gentlemen here than anyone would suspect. But you know what they say, the show must go on.

"While most of you are having fun, chatting about holidays spent in France, Japan, or Hawaii, pretending to like each other, we pretend that all we want is to cater to your whims. But don't let that mislead you. All we want, _all we can think of_, is your money. We care about your boring stories as long as you leave us a nice fat check. The orphans that are waiting for your help have never been anywhere further than to the nearest park. They will not go sunbathing on one of the sandy exotic beaches. They will not wear Oscar de la Renta or Gucci. They will not brag about their vintage cadillac." She takes a breath, and sees the audience is shocked. Caroline will never admit that she changed her speech right when she got on that platform.

"We are here today to join our forces for a good cause. For kids that need your money more than any fashion empire or any car producer. Let's forget about extravagances and whims tonight, and _give_ instead of spend. Thank you."

Caroline swallows hard, _ouch_. The guests are silent for a moment, not sure whether they got insulted or complimented. But have those big-heads ever known the difference?

Then there's a sound of hands clapping coming from the very end of the room. The man stands too far for her to discern his features, but he's wearing a very distinctive red tie, so she makes a quick resolution to find him later. And to her suprprise–and immense relief–the others follow the lead. The simple hand clapping turns into a loud, enthusiastic ovation. Some people even raise their hands applauding Caroline's speech. The blonde lets out a long breath. It seems like she convinced the richies to have a taste of philanthropy. The auction should go smoothly now.

:–:

Carol Lockwood just can't stop marveling at how wonderfully generous the guests are tonight. The auction is more than a success, it's an event worthy of the first page of the _Chicago Tribune_. An enormous donation for the orphanage, and favorable publicity for the Mayor. Now it's time to party. Let the champagne flow like Mississippi.

Caroline is reaping laurels as people try to win her with glib compliments. Fantastic speech, they say. Very moving. Very persuasive. You've got balls, girl.

Tyler is very proud of her too. She sees him talking to Jenna Sommers, a highly regarded journalist, and even though she doesn't hear what he's saying, she can read his lips. _My mother_ and _Caroline_ are the words that make the corners of his mouth raise.

She just smiles and escapes the crowd to finally admire the painting she bought. She saw it before, when she and Carol were looking through the catalogue of things put up for the auction. A painting of a lone wolf standing on the edge of a cliff, howling to a full moon. It's hypnotizing her, drawing her into the world of the night and dark, impenetrable forests. And yet it's somehow calming her at the same time. Caroline can't remember the last time she was so deeply affected. The wolf is so captivating, beautiful and dangerous. She can feel shivers running down her spine.

Someone clears their throat behind her making Caroline jump around, suddenly shaken out of her dreamlike state. She's about to put on her Smile Number Five but quickly abandons the idea when she sees who is slowly approaching her...

The one and only Klaus Mikaelson.

What nerve! Caroline frowns, any sign of kindness gone from her now tense face. She involuntarily starts chewing on the inside of her lower lip.

"You were doggedly fighting for this painting, love. I'm impressed."

"Well." She crosses her arms. "I always get what I want."

"I don't doubt it." He smiles at her like what she's just said wasn't an implicit threat but rather an invitation to play. Caroline's teeth draw blood from the lip, but she doesn't even flinch.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm Richard's guest. Of course I've donated, too."

She stares at Klaus the Pest, silently hating on him. What...Who does he mean by Richard? Surely not Tyler's father, it can't be–

"Mr. Lockwood asked me to make a contribution to the auction. He cares about his good name as much as his ex-wife does."

Damn you, Klaus Mikaelson! And damn you, Richard Lockwood!

Caroline tries to keep it cool. No matter how much she's raging inside, she will _never_ give him the satisfaction of seeing her out of control. "A contribution? Really? What was it?" She tilts her chin at him posing a tacit challenge.

"Just a small piece of art, nothing too fancy."

"So now you're a connoisseur of art?"

"Indeed I am. I even happen to know the man that painted your wolf."

"Do you?" She gives him a tight-lipped smile, mentally lecturing herself to keep her nerves under control. "And who is he?"

"Just a disrespectful megalomaniac who thinks he's hilarious." Klaus smirks at her, and after a quick nod of his head he walks away.

Caroline is left puzzled and speechless, staring at his form that's wandering off and disappearing in the crowd. The realization hits her and almost knocks her out. She was too surprised by his appearance to focus on the details, but now it dawns on her.

Her jaw drops. He was wearing a red tie. THE red tie.

"I need a drink."

**~TBC~**


	3. Ad personam

**A/N: Hello my dear readers! It's nice to see you again! And you, with glasses. And you, in a pony tail. Oh, and hello to you too, freckled creature! **

**A lot happens in this chapter. I hope you don't suffer from data overload! ;) **

**All hail my wonderful beta, Deej.**

* * *

**3.**

**Ad personam**:

an argument made personally against an opponent

* * *

On Monday morning Caroline wakes up earlier than usual. She still has a few hours to leave for the hearing, but she doesn't feel like staying in bed any longer. Her mind is too occupied with the case.

The case. Of course it's the case and not a certain attorney that she was scurrying away from like he really was a pest at Carol's party. Absolutely not. Klaus?

Pfft. Nah.

Okay, so she was so embarrassed and angry that she kept avoiding him for the rest of that unfortunate evening. The memory of him in that red tie is enough to make Caroline smother herself with a pillow. The worst thing is, she has to face him today. Him and his smug grin, his stubble, and his dimples. "Ugh!" She groans into the pillow that's still pressed against her face.

On top of that, she feels like his goddamn painting is perversely staring at her from the corner of her bedroom.

: — :

Klaus stretches in his king-sized bed and sits up on its edge looking straight at a breathtaking panoramic view of the city. It's a bright spring day in Chicago, very refreshing. As he stands up, the covers slip down his bare hips and fall to the floor. Not bothering to put anything on he walks slowly down the long hallway straight to the kitchen, firmly planting his bare feet on the wooden floor, his tall shadow following him. If it was a movie, the camera would show his flat abdomen and the trail of fair curly hair starting around his navel and going south. It would show in close-up his butt and strong yet lean muscles of his thighs.

A Greek god in his temple.

He stretches his arms again as he enters the kitchen, enjoying a warm breeze coming through the open window.

So today is the day, he smirks to himself while cracking three eggs on the frying pan. He would lie if he said he's not even a tiny bit excited to see the blonde in the courtroom. Let's see how much spunk this girl has.

: — :

Katherine and her attorney are sitting on a wooden bench in front of the courtroom door when Klaus and Damon appear at the end of the hallway. Their polished shoes shine from afar as they swagger adjusting their ties like two big-shots.

"Stay cool." Caroline says as she squeezes Katherine's hand. Her friend inhales sharply and grits her teeth. Her eye twitches when the men sit down right across the narrow corridor. Caroline feels Katherine's fingers start to crush hers.

"Good morning." Klaus grins. He sits there so relaxed, so irritatingly chipper. Caroline rolls her eyes at him and just gives him a quick nod. He eyes her up and down. She looks good in white. And the infamous heels again? Klaus tries to hold back a smirk.

Damon's eyes bore into his wife's form in an obvious attempt to intimidate her, but Katherine Pierce isn't the one to be easily cowed. She throws out her chest and crosses her arms along with her legs. Her husband's piercing icy-blue eyes narrow at her. This is what you call marital cold war. Bringing Katherine and Damon to court was verging on the impossible. Yet somehow Caroline and Klaus manage to keep the quarrelsome lovers separated and safe. At least for the time being.

"How did you like the party, Caroline?" Klaus beams at Caroline. She stiffens immediately, her face hard like stone. Ignoring her stern look, he goes on, "It's a pity we didn't get to dance, don't you think? I was trying to catch you, but the guests were swarming around you." He says with his eyes lit up in a puckish way.

"It was a busy night." Caroline's hand goes up to her face ready to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, but then she realizes her hair is tied into a sleek bun. Klaus smiles seeing her hand stop in mid-air.

"What about my painting? Have you found a place for it yet?"

Hearing Klaus' words, both Katherine and Damon turn their stunned faces to Caroline. They would gladly inquire about their lawyers' meeting and the mysterious painting, but then they see paparazzi cavalry charging right at them starved for gossip._ It's Katherine! How do you feel about your husband? Is there someone new in your life? Are you two going to fight over money? Is Damon single, 'cause I would...What?_

"Could you guys be less famous?" Caroline groans blinded by flashing cameras, covering her face with one hand. "I don't want to become a celebrity by association."

"Says Mayor's future daughter-in-law." Damon snorts. "By the way, has her little pup stopped wetting the bed yet?" Caroline's upper lip contemptuously curls up and she's about to go all ballbreaker on Katherine's jerk of a husband, when the courtroom door opens.

"Finally." Klaus gets up. Amusement painted on his face says he's been hoping to hear that little spitfire giving Damon a piece of her mind. When Caroline brushes past him, he whispers to her, "I hope you've read the morning press. I've found the gossip section quite interesting."

: - :

"All rise," they hear, "Three-oh-one is now in session."

A tall blonde man enters the courtroom, his eyes immediately falling on the blonde young lawyer and her companion. Caroline simpers at Judge Stinson. He has a weak spot for beautiful women. Katherine looks more than stunning today, and well, it would be an understatement to say that Caroline looks any worse.

"Please be seated and come to order."

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Miss Forbes." The judge nods at Caroline with more than a favorable smile on his face. She glances towards Klaus just to see that he rolls his eyes at the judge.

"Let's hear the opening arguments."

Caroline is about to get up, but Klaus is quicker, already coming closer to the bench.

"Your Honor, we all are familiar with my client's wife's grounds for divorce. Katherine Pierce must be an extremely scorned woman to call her husband a cold-hearted adulterous drunk, and to claim the right to all of their marital property."

Katherine pouts and frowns at Klaus while Caroline analyzes his every word. She doesn't know what he's up to, and it makes her more than anxious.

"I've found a really interesting article about Mrs. Damon Salvatore today." He goes back to his table and picks two copies of a magazine. He gives one to the judge, and puts the other on Caroline's desk right before her distrustful eyes. She grabs it and looks down at the title with contempt. _Stars_. How ingenious. Then she swallows hard. Katherine's face stares at her from the cover along with a headline, FICTION BECOMES REALITY! KAT TRIES TO KILL DAMON! Caroline's face turns pale. Katherine growls, "You...!"

"Objection!" Caroline's hoarse voice resounds in the room. "Tabloids make no reliable evidence!"

Judge Stinson takes a look at the article. There's a photo of Katherine choking Damon, with Klaus and Caroline's frightened faces looming in the background. "Overruled."

"If you think this story is somehow distorted, Miss Forbes, you can tell us what you saw." Klaus spreads his hands. "We both were present at my office that day, weren't we?" His stare is fixed on her, his lower lip protruding in a bold smirk.

"Miss Forbes," Judge Stinson says, "please tell us what happened."

"Well," Caroline's fists clench as she stands by her table, "Mr. Mikaelson and I were in his office discussing the grounds and conditions of our clients' divorce when we heard a scream. We went outside and saw them fight." She's trying to keep her voice calm and confident.

"What exactly did you see?" Klaus presses her. She looks at the judge seeking a way out but he only nods at her to continue.

"I saw Katherine and Damon on the floor."

"What were they doing?"

"It looked like they were fighting."

"I don't ask you what it looked like." He says firmly. "What were they _doing_?"

"They were having a fight."

"Who was winning?"

"Why, did you put a bet on one of them?" She mutters through the gritted teeth.

"Miss Forbes." The judge cautions. "Please answer the question."

"Katherine." She looks down at her feet while her client smiles proudly in her place as if it was a reason to boast.

"Was she choking her husband?" Klaus takes a step forward, and suddenly Caroline feels cornered.

"We don't know it. Her hands were on his throat, that's all."

"Of course she was choking me!" Damon yells from where he sits. "She's a psycho!"

"Mr. Salvatore, please behave." The judge sighs.

"That bastard deserved it!" Katherine squalls. "Always chasing skirts!"

"Kat, stop digging your own grave." Caroline nervously whispers to her friend on the side.

"Mr. Mikaelson, what's exactly your point?" Judge Stinson turns to Klaus seeing that there's no sense in dragging this discussion on and on.

"My point is, Katherine Pierce's records are everything but clean." He takes yet another magazine. And then one more. "According to various materials collected by the paparazzi, Mrs. Pierce has been leading quite a riotous life." He thumbs through the papers as he recites, "Drunk-driving, disturbance of the peace, verbal and physical abuse of people that got in her way..." He looks straight at Katherine, a smug expression on his face. "That showcase of _marital bliss_ in my office was just a mere drop in the ocean. It seems like she's not the role-model she claims to be."

Katherine breaks the pencil Caroline gave her. It snaps in two with a loud crack. Her hands tremble as she hisses, "I will kill him. I swear."

"And while she blames her husband for the breakdown of their marriage, I wouldn't be too hasty to accuse my client. Obviously, Mrs. Pierce has serious anger management problems."

"Objection!" Caroline waves her hand. "We are here to question Mr. Salvatore's behavior, not tarnish my client's reputation!"

"HE CHEATED ON ME FOR GOD'S SAKE!" Katherine jumps to her feet and yells at Klaus. "Whose problem is that, huh?!"

Standing upon his dignity, Damon opens his mouth to argue, but Caroline stands up again and sends the judge a desperate smile. "Your Honor, can I ask for a five-minute recess?"

: - :

Caroline and Katherine get back to the room blinded by the flashes, running away from the group of reporters waiting outside. Klaus is sitting at his desk pointedly reading the tabloids he brought while Damon is just nervously fidgeting with a pen. The atmosphere is so tense the light bulbs could pop any minute now.

With all her dignity and grace, Caroline walks through the courtroom and stops in the middle of it.

"Your Honor, initially my client wanted much more from her dishonorable, unfaithful husband. But after considering many options, she decided to adhere to equitable distribution of marital assets."

Damon throws Klaus a surprised look. Shaking Klaus by the arm Damon hisses, "Is this a joke? She wanted to fight for every dollar and now what?" Klaus just waves at him to be quiet, and watches as Caroline continues her speech.

"We assume separate property is not a problem for it had been acquired prior to the marriage. Also, my client waives her claims to marital property such as cars and two apartments, one in New York and other in Los Angeles, that they hold in common."

"She's gone mad. Or she's plotting something." Damon whispers, but Klaus only elbows him in the side.

"But," Caroline says and turns to the opposing counsel, "the only thing my client wants is to file for custody of Drogo."

And this is the last straw.

Before Klaus can react (_Objection! Who the hell is Drogo? Why Klaus doesn't know anything about him?!_), Damon springs to his feet and points an accusatory finger at Katherine. "You will never take Drogo away from me!"

Katherine stands up with her arms akimbo. "You should have thought about it before I caught you in fragrant delicious!"

"It's actually _in flagrante delicto _you kno—" Caroline pokes her on the arm, and then realizes the inevitable. Oh no, not again.

"I'm telling you this for the last time! I did not sleep with her!" Damon shakes his fist at Katherine who pouts and leans forward to yell at him.

"You were only in your underwear and so was she!"

"It was her first session! I wanted her to feel comfortable!"

"Damon!" Klaus growls.

"Comfortable with your dick—"

The judge starts hammering his gavel against the bench. "Order!"

"—between her legs!"

Damon jumps over the table and rushes straight at his wife, but Klaus puts a strong hold on him just in time. "You're doing it wrong, mate."

"As you see, Your Honor, my client isn't the only one with anger management problems." The blonde points out. Katherine is fuming, her face so red it's almost steaming. Caroline grabs her by the shoulder in case her client wants to do that surprise attack stunt again.

Judge Stinson hits himself on the forehead with the gavel. "Who. Is. Drogo?" Klaus nods in agreement, confused by the unexpected course of events.

With her face dead serious Caroline says, "Drogo is their pug, Your Honor."

After a few seconds of haunting silence, the judge throws his hands up in a gesture of despair. "I will not stand this kind of behavior in the courtroom." Then he turns to the attorneys. "Ms. Forbes, Mr. Mikaelson, you have two weeks to teach your clients good manners. Case adjourned."

Judge Stinson will make them wait for it.

: — :

As if the bumpy ride of the hearing wasn't enough, Caroline's agreed to go out for lunch with Tyler's mother. Luckily enough Carol chose the restaurant close to Caroline's office, so she doesn't have to run around the city. It's past noon, but she feels exhausted like it was midnight. Yoga will be her blessing and savior today. It calms her nerves like anything in the world. This, and a nice hot cup of lemon balm.

"Caroline, my dear!" Carol Lockwood spreads her welcoming arms and gives Caroline something that would be a phantom kiss on the cheek. "Please, sit down. I've ordered chicken salad for both of us."

"But I don't-" Caroline starts but her over-enthusiastic future mother-in-law cuts in.

"You were absolutely amazing at the party. Ah-may-zing!" The blonde just smiles, knowing that chances to interrupt Tyler's mother equal zero. "So I thought—a really brilliant idea, I'm so excited!—that you could help in my foundation after you two lovebirds get married." Her lips finally stop moving and just freeze in a widespread proud grin. She looks like a dog wagging its tail, waiting for words of approval.

Caroline bites her lower lip, her eyebrows knit together. The one thing worse than drunk Carol is self-righteous Carol. "It's very, I mean _very_ nice of you. Really... _tempting_," she says slowly, analyzing every uttered word, "But I love my job. I would never trade it for anything else." She smiles awkwardly, afraid this conversation will go too far. Not only did Carol buy them an apartment a stone's throw from her own, but now she's also planning Caroline's career.

A waitress brings the salads. Caroline doesn't feel like chewing anything right now. Well, maybe her own brain.

"Oh but it's nonsense, darling!" Carol chortles. "You don't seriously think you'll be still working after the wedding?"

Caroline's face hardens. "And why not?"

"How would you combine career with housekeeping and bringing up your children?" Tyler's mother goggles at Caroline like the lawyer said something utterly absurd. "Tyler wouldn't be the man he is now if it wasn't for my caring hand." She prims up her lips haughtily.

_He wouldn't be still sucking on your teet_, _that's for sure_, Caroline thinks but doesn't dare say. Questioning Carol's motherly authority is like waving a red rag. And this bull has really sharp and pointy horns.

"I gave up everything to raise him. That's what mothers do."

_They throw fancy parties and pose for photo shoots with their perfect sons while daddy's running a campaign with his secretary under his desk?_ Caroline, disheartened and irritated, looks down at her salad. She'll hate chicken for months now.

"Foundation would be just a hobby. A distraction. One day per week."

"My mother was working full-time and somehow I didn't suffer from Separation Anxiety Disorder." _Whoa. _

Carol's getting riled up. "Marriage means sacrifice. You'll have to forget about practicing law for Junior's sake." The Mayor lectures her. "We are talking about Tyler's baby, Caroline. Maybe even a future president, who knows? "

Caroline desperately shakes her head. "I'm not even pregnant!"

She's not even _married_, and yet this witch is planning Caroline's kid's career!

"How long are you going to wait? Your biological clock is ticking, my dear! Tic toc!" Carol huffs jabbing her fork at the blonde.

"My clock is fine!" Caroline says a bit too loud drawing people's attention. Great, just great.

"There's no need to get upset, darling. You should unders—" The Mother of the Year doesn't get a chance to finish her moving speech, because Caroline impetuously gets up and rushes to the door covering her mouth with a napkin.

"Caroline, wait!" Carol calls after her. "Maybe it's already morning sickness?"

: — :

Klaus drops the files in his office and leaves for yet another business meeting. If Damon was his only client, Klaus would starve and live under a bridge. Today's hearing was a mess, but thanks to the headstrong blonde he truly enjoyed it. He surprised her with the tabloid record on Katherine's behavior, but she was smart enough to hit the nerve with that pet of Damon's. They were so close to settle the score, but of course the belligerent twosome had to start fighting again.

Klaus has to admit, he didn't know about any pet. It's going to be a pain in the arse, this case. When a fight for money turns into a fight for custody, all hell breaks loose. They will have to bring out the big guns… Because of a _dog_.

As he's silently hating on the case while walking down the street, he doesn't notice a blonde tornado coming in his direction. It's too late to save himself when some petite yet strong form collides with his hard chest, sending the attacker to the ground with a loud, "Ouch!" Fortunately, Klaus' quick reflexes stop the woman from falling as his hands grab the sleeves of her elegant white jacket. The blonde is shocked, but when she looks up, her face grows gloomy and ominous.

"Caroline." Klaus says surprised by the sudden attack of the Blonde Forces. "What's the rush?" She must have darted into the street in a hurry, Klaus deduces from her flushed cheeks, flared nostrils, and uneven breathing. As soon as she regains her balance, Caroline pushes him away and stamps her foot in anger.

"Seriously?!" She groans at her clueless opponent and throwing her fists up she stomps off to catch a cab. "Taxi! Taxi!" She's waving in exasperation at passing cars.

"Are you okay, love? You look a bit—" He starts, but Caroline spins around and sends him a look as sharp as a dagger. She does look unstable.

"There is nothing wrong with my clock! Nothing! TAXI!"

Okay, she looks entirely cuckoo.

Klaus pities any taxi driver that picks her up.

: — :

Two-hour Zen Yoga session restores Caroline's CHI to its balanced state and lets it strive after Zen again. She leaves the gym as an embodiment of calm and composed.

Everything is spiritual discipline and nothing hurts.

She still can't fully grasp whether the tree falling in the forest makes a sound or not, but she has all her life to figure it out, right? One day Caroline will awaken a deeper level of the mind beyond the discursive intellect. For now her own subjective version of existence tells her that Tyler was supposed to pick her up from the gym yet he's nowhere to be found.

Does Tyler in the parking lot make a sound? Looks like he doesn't._ Because he's not here._

He's not picking up her calls either. One, two, three calls. Still nothing. Caroline's peace of mind starts to recede. Four, five, six. Suppress your anger. Think of it as an experience. Seven, eight. It will pass. Nine...

"Caroline!" She's relieved to hear Tyler over the phone. But his voice is being drown out by pounding music and loud voices.

"Tyler, where are you? You had to pick me up from the gym."

" I told you I was going to see my old high school pack."

"No, you didn't."

"I did." He hiccups. "At my mom's party." Is he drunk?

"Really?" Caroline drawls ironically. "That's weird. I don't remember." She starts angrily sucking on the inside of her lower lip.

"I did tell ya, babe. But you seemed… distracted that night…" It sounds like he's taking a long sip of whatever he's drinking. "…ab-sent."

Well, she can't deny that. Avoiding Klaus occupied her mind so much she doesn't remember even the tiniest thing Tyler did or said that night.

"Maybe." Caroline gives up. "So, where are you?"

" At _Punch_, a sports bar. Put on something sexy and join us!" He raves before hanging up. Caroline sighs and puts her phone into the pocket of her sweat pants and starts trudging home. She realizes Tyler never told her anything about his high school friends. Of course they talked about old times, but he was sparing with words about people he knew. Tyler's memories were related mostly to his football career, him being the captain of the team, and him winning a sport scholarship.

Her phone rings again. "And Care? Can you take your car? I think I will need a sober cab."

Caroline quickens the pace. She wanted to discuss Tyler's mother's stand tonight, but this has to wait. She will gladly get to know his high school buddies. She will gladly learn something about high school Tyler as well.

: - :

A hot bath, a pair of tight black pants, and a low-cut top later she is driving to _Punch_. The name doesn't exactly excite her curiosity.

It's not that bad though. The interior looks like a cellar or a cave, with dark brick walls and dim lights, but it's not a dive. Flat screens are everywhere broadcasting sports channels from all over the world. Baseball, soccer, basketball, and even wrestling. All kinds of sports enthusiasts can find their fix here. So where can she find her boyfriend?

Caroline's eyes scan the surroundings listening to voices blending together and to the clink of glasses. There's a distinct smell of alcohol around; alcohol and greasy fries. She walks to the adjacent room that turns out to be the billiard room. A group of people are placing bets, Tyler being one of them, cheering on one of the guys with a gorgeous brunette clinging to his arm. Caroline purses her lips and rushes toward him taking quick large steps. The guys by the pool table stop playing for a minute and gape at beautiful blonde walking in their direction, her blonde curls bouncing around her angelic face. They're even more surprised to see she knows one of them.

"Tyler." She gives him a tight smile. Her fiancé's face lights up with what Caroline would call too much alcohol and a bit of excitement.

"Caroliiiine!" He puts an arm around her swaying on his feet. "Guys, lemme introduce to you the love of my life, my fiancée Caroline." Tyler's friends grin goofily at her saying _Hi Caroline_, and _Wow_. There's even a whistle or two. Then she hears a quiet snort and turns around to see the bitch-faced brunette staring at her.

"You never cease to surprise me, Ty. First you're Mr. Suit and Tie and then you're getting married?"

"Excuse me, and you are…?" Caroline tilts her head to the side and frowns.

"Care, this is Hayley, my—"

"High school girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend, actually." Hayley says boldly lifting her chin up. Caroline can't help but retaliate by questioningly raising her eyebrows at her.

An ex-girlfriend? Tyler has never mentioned her! Like, _never_. She told him everything about Matt, and even rambled on about her insignificant high school crushes, but he kept his mouth shut. Why?

Caroline pretends that she doesn't want to claw Hayley's eyes out. "And what do you do, Hayley?"

"Got kicked out of college long time ago. I've traveled around the country and Latin America for a while. Now I'm a kick-boxing instructor."

"Isn't she great?" Tyler rubs Caroline's arm a bit too fervently.

"Yeah." She mumbles unable to take her eyes off the mysterious girl from Tyler's past.

: - :

Caroline has never felt that ignored in her whole life. Tyler's playing with his pals and getting more and more drunk, missing every high-five they give him. It's a sad, sad sight. She's sipping her sparkling water sitting by the bar, bored to death. It's almost midnight, how long is he going to party? He's not a prince you know, he does have to get up early tomorrow and drag his ass to work.

Actually, he's not the only one. Why does she _always_ think about him first?

"Finally I see Tyler in his element." Hayley sits down next to Caroline with a glass full of beer in her hand. Caroline glances at her fiancé who's downing yet another glass in one gulp while his monkey pack applauds him.

"His element?"

"Yeah, he was a party king in high school. First to come and last to leave. Always with a bottle of scotch stolen from his parent's stash." She laughs with a dreamy smile plastered on her face. "I thought you knew."

"We met just year ago. He's not a high school jock anymore." Caroline doesn't know who she wants to convince, Hayley or herself.

"Go Ty! Down with it!" The men keep cheering on Tyler while he's drinking straight from a beer barrel they ordered.

"If you say so." Hayley smiles wryly.

"Go! Go! Go!"

Caroline's head starts to feel heavy. It's been a long day. The hearing. Klaus. Carol. Klaus again. And now Tyler. She's afraid her CHI got lost on its way to Zen.

"You know what? I really have to go. Please tell Tyler to take a cab." The blonde throws a few bucks on the bar counter paying for her drink, and without so much as saying goodbye she leaves the bar.

She doesn't even look back.

: - :

Klaus closes the door after his 'date' gets in to the cab and slips a wad of dollars through the driver's window. (_What was her name again? Ah, nevermind. She wasn't even that good._) When she asks if they will see each other again, he's one hundred percent honest: "No, unless I want to." They don't exchange numbers.

Before you pass an expert's opinion on Klaus Mikaelson's lifestyle, let's get one thing straight. He doesn't sleep with prostitutes, no matter how luxurious they appear. He does, however, sleep with eager women that are pretty enough to satisfy his aesthetic sense.

Why wouldn't he? He's single, not a martyr.

It's always a fair deal. Quid pro quo in a hotel room.

He walks down the street in the middle of the night, heading to his sacred space that is his apartment. He never brings women home. There's always the risk that they will want to stay over, then sneak their toothbrush into his bathroom, and finally—God forbid!—redecorate the place. He would be charged with depraved-heart murder an hour later.

Absorbed in the murmur of the night, distant sounds of sirens and car alarms, he can't stop thinking about an intriguing blonde that keeps him guessing—

"Ugh!" He hears a familiar voice groan in front of him.

—Caroline Forbes.

Wobbly on her high ankle-strap platforms, fighting with her car door, yanking the handle, offending the innocent machine. "Open up you son of a bitch!" She bangs her fist against the roof of her red Honda. As she hopelessly leans against the car, Klaus feasts his eyes on her casual yet sexy attire. Tight pants suit her as much as fancy dresses and pencil skirts.

"Need help, Caroline?" She gives herself a mental facepalm at the sound of a familiar-too familiar if you ask her-British accent behind her back. Just when she thought this day couldn't get any worse…

"Do I leave a trail of breadcrumbs so you can stalk me?" Caroline grumbles not even looking at Klaus. He lets out a small laugh. She's a little cherry bomb, isn't she.

"Actually it's you who keeps bumping into me." He grins. "Let me help you."

"Whatever." She shrugs abandoning all hope and watches Klaus pulling the key from the lock.

"Do you have a bobby pin?" She just nods and starts to poke around in her huge bag._ Why the hell do women need such bags_, Klaus wonders. You could stash the whole Universe in it. After more or less five minutes—too long for Caroline, too short for Klaus as he keeps staring at her flustered face—she victoriously hands him the pin. He takes it and kneels down in front of her car door.

Her eyes widen when she realizes what he's doing. "Are you... picking the lock?" He only smirks and keeps twisting the pin and digging inside the lock. After a while he pulls the handle and the door magically opens. Caroline's jaw drops.

Klaus gives her a triumphant look, "Voila!"

"You did not just break into my car." She gawks at him.

"I did." He shouldn't have done it. And more importantly, she shouldn't have seen him doing that. It's a part of his past he is supposed to lock in a box and never open it again. But he needed to impress her somehow. Don't think he's not surprised by his own reaction. He never felt like showing off or chasing pretty faces. _  
_

Still, it feels exhiliarating to blow a woman's mind some way other than in bed.

"Well…" Caroline bites her lip._ God, this is awkward._ "Thanks, I guess."

"You impressed me today, love." He gets up from the ground and brushes dirt off his suit pants. "It's not easy, you know."

The blonde tilts her head up and crosses her arms. His cockiness drives her up the wall. "Oh boy. Don't I feel special."

Klaus' lips twist in a lopsided smile at her caustic remark. He really enjoys her sarcastic wit. It's quite…refreshing. "We should definitely go for a drink sometime."

Caroline finds resisting his dimples strenuous, but it doesn't take her long to come around. The man standing right here is a bad guy. A problem. Adversary! Satan! Channelling her inner Cordelia Chase she fakes a coy smile, "I'd rather die of thirst, but thanks."

A flicker of devilry crosses his face. "Are you challenging me again, sweetheart?"

"I am establishing healthy working boundaries." Her tone changes from ironic to authoritative.

Klaus lets out a short, scornful laugh, "I do _not_ obey rules or boundaries."

"And _I_ do not tolerate cocksure machos." Flinging back her hair she gets into her car, and then leaves with a screech of tires.

**~TBC~**

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**Ooh, jumping to conclusions, aren't you guys? Please do, and let me read them! *evil laughter* **

**follow me on tumblr at liarfaker, you know you want to. **


	4. Cadit quaestio

**A/N: Hello my lovelies! Ready to see whether your conclusions were right? :) **

**Thank you guys for reviewing. It's the best thing about writing, so spoil me a little or yell at me - anything, just don't leave me here:P **

******As always, all hail Ashley the Best Beta evah.**

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**4.**

**Cadit quaestio:**

used to indicate that a dispute or an issue is no longer in question

* * *

Katherine struts into Caroline's office wearing her favorite outfit a'la rockstar, her dark curls bouncing against her back to the rhythm of her steps. She seems unusually stirred, her cheeks aflame.

"Congratulations!" She trumpets and places a magazine on Caroline's desk. The blonde glances at the title and grimaces.

"_Stars _again? Seriously?"

"Pages six to seven. Page and a half about my divorce, then a half-page article about—wait for it—you!" Katherine explains, not without a tinge of jealousy in her tone.

Caroline grabs the magazine and starts flipping through the pages. Her eyes widen, and she freezes staring at the piece of paper. The headline says, QUEEN OF DIVORCE AND STYLE. And there she is, wearing one of her suits featuring pencil skirt and a pair of platform pumps, her blonde curls loosely falling on her shoulders. Another photo shows Caroline at Carol's charity party and the text compliments on her dress and her impeccable taste in accessories. On the third one Caroline is caught wearing loose black yoga pants and a turquoise sports bra, and the comment says, _Stylish even while looking for spiritual balance. _

"What the hell is this?" She chokes out. Last time she checked, hogging the spotlight wasn't on her agenda.

"You, my dear, are becoming famous by association." Katherine grins from ear to ear and plops herself down on the guest chair. She finds Caroline's disgust incredibly amusing.

"Oh dear Lord, why are you punishing me?" Caroline shakes her head and covers her face in her hands. No matter how much the short article praises her style as Katherine's attorney, it also invades Caroline's privacy. Thank God they didn't write anything about her impending wedding.

Apropos of the wedding… "Kat, can I ask you something off the record?"

"Shoot." Katherine swivels on the chair.

"Were you sure you wanted to marry Damon? I mean, before you hated him and stuff."

"Honey, I always hated him." Her friend throws her head back laughing. Caroline looks at her dumbstruck.

"So he wasn't your epic love?"

"Of course he was." Katherine sighs, smile disappearing from her face. "That's not the point."

"Okay Kat, I don't get it. Please, speak English."

Katherine seems to think long and hard about something before she finally throws her hands up surrendering to Caroline's perplexed gaze.

"You have to promise me nobody will ever know this." Caroline gives her a solemn nod, so Katherine continues. "I told you I met Damon at a party. That was true, but there was more to it. I went there with Stefan. We were dating at that time."

"What? Like, Stefan aka his brother?!"

"Yes. To cut a long story short, Stefan and I broke up when I fell for Damon."

"But... Stefan was present at your wedding, and he seemed perfectly fine. No broken heart, no brooding stare." Caroline remembers how helpful Stefan was when Matt lost his reckless battle against vodka. Stefan, who went stag to the party, kept her company and even broke his I-shall-never-dance oath and swayed with her once or twice to some wistful ballad. She enjoyed that night thanks to Damon's best man, and even though they didn't exchange numbers, she hoped he'd call her.

"Because he was already over it. We didn't get too serious. Besides, you know how writers roll. Everything can serve as material for their book." Stefan Salvatore, being a photographer's brother, couldn't go down any other path than the artistic one. As an aspiring writer, talented but rather withdrawn from society, Stefan has locked himself up in a cabin in a small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, to find inspiration for his first book while watching over his brother's pet. Drogo doesn't really admire Stefan the writer, but he's crazy about Stefan the cook. This makes him a perfect companion, even if just to remind Stefan that writers—like any other human beings—actually need food to survive.

"Why did you leave Stefan? He's a great guy."

"He is. I never said he wasn't. Yet they were as different as night and day. Being with Stefan was like a safe haven, in an emotional sense. No ups and downs, just a steady cardiogram line. Damon, though, was giving me a constant heart attack. When I was around him, it felt like there was a thunder raging and crashing around me. I hated him like anything in the world, but at the same time I couldn't stop falling in love him."

Caroline stares at Katherine unblinking and wordless. Her friend's story sounds familiar. As a matter of fact, similar thoughts have been haunting Caroline for a while now—a dark cloud of doubt looming over her head.

As a young engaged couple, Caroline and Tyler should be having the time of their life. However, Caroline can't remember when she last felt butterflies in her stomach while being around him. When did she last feel her heart doing somersaults at the thought of him? When did she last scream in pleasure while he was making love to her? When did their relationship become so predictable and boring? Why didn't she notice that Carol is constantly keeping tabs on them? Not to mention that when she thinks about Tyler's stunt last night and the secrets he was keeping from her, Caroline's mind fills to the brim with questions.

She wanted that wedding so much she didn't even think—not for one second—about the man she agreed to marry. It was her fairy tale after all. The queen favored her and the prince was swept off his feet, so why wait? It was perfect timing for a royal wedding. This was what her dreams were made of, right? Caroline was going to wear a crown and live in a castle above the village. She firmly believed in happy endings even though her job provided exactly the opposite. Failed marriage could only happen to other people, not to her, never to her. She hit the jackpot, or so she thought.

Now the prince is losing his charm, the queen more and more resembles a Wicked Witch of the North, and the bride starts to waver.

Seeing the blonde's troubled expression, Katherine frowns, "What's bothering you, Care?"

"I don't know." Caroline tries to shake the nagging thoughts off. "It's just..." She props her head on her hands and closes her eyes, feeling ashamed. "I don't know if I still love Tyler. I don't even know if I ever..." The words get stuck in her throat.

Katherine can barely stop herself from falling off the chair. Caroline Forbes, an embodiment of determination and right choices, is telling her she might have made the biggest mistake in her life?! If Katherine had done her homework and knew who Cicero was, she'd exclaim, _O tempora! O mores_! Instead, she slaps herself on the forehead and says, "Damn."

:-:

"Klaus!" A female voice over the phone sounds overjoyed. "I've been waiting so long for your call!"

"Time zones suck, my dear." He smiles stretching on the leather couch in his office with his feet on the armrest. "How are you?"

"Not bad." He can hear she's excited. "And you?"

"Great, just great."

"You liar."

"I'm telling the truth!" He mocks her.

"No, you're lying to me."

"I swear—"

"Klaus!" She shrieks so loud Klaus has to put the phone away from his ear.

"Okay, fine!" He chuckles, but then the corners of his mouth go down. "I miss you, sweetheart."

"I miss you too."

After a short moment of silence filled with sighs and smiles, the playful mood is back. She lets out a small laugh, "Are you coming back for the party?"

"You know I am." Klaus groans. "I can't leave you at the mercy of those bores."

"That's what I wanted to hear."

"Really? And not something like, _happy birthday, little sister_?"

"No, you'll make up for your absence when you come home." He just knows she has stuck her tongue out at him. "And since we're on the subject... Are you coming alone?"

"I always do, Bekah."

"You know what I mean!" It's so easy to irritate his little sister, Klaus thinks with amusement. "Because, you know, I have that friend, and she would make a perfect date for you, and—"

"Rebekah Mikaelson." Klaus scolds her. "Stop playing a matchmaker. It's no use."

"You aren't sleeping with hookers again, are you?" Rebekah's tone gets suspicious and a little threatening. She spared no effort to help him get out of the woods, so it's only natural that she's oversensitive about her brother's choices.

"No. I keep my promises."

"So… Are you seeing someone?" That's Rebekah for you, he thinks. In a millisecond she turns from irritated to concerned. His sister and her mood swings.

Then a devilish idea comes to his mind. What if he lied to her a little, just to keep her quiet and himself entertained? He would finally live in peace, without Rebekah's checking on him every week to make sure he's a good boy. He loves his sister dearly, but it's high time she stopped meddling.

"Yes."

"Oh my God!" Rebekah squeals with joy. "What is she like?"

"That's all I'm telling you, Bekah." Klaus fakes a serious tone while cracking up inside.

"Klaus! Please! You can't leave me with this!" She begs. "I promise I won't ask about anything more. I will wait till you want to talk. But please tell me just one more thing!"

This is going to be so much fun, Klaus thinks, then says, "She's a lawyer too. Very smart."

"Is she pretty?"

"Rebekah." He warns her, but lets her on, "Yes. Blonde and beautiful."

"I'm already bloody jealous!" She stomps her foot, shivering with excitation.

"You should be." He grins, and hears Rebekah snort. She will get over this. (And over the tiny insignificant detail that he's, in fact, playing her.)

"Have you heard from Stefan?" She asks meekly. Her brother can't help but snicker.

"Still thinking about Mr. Wordy, aren't we?"

"Shut up! Must you laugh at the girl who loves too easily?"

"Calm down, Bekah. I'll ask Damon. He happens to be my client now."

"What? Is he in trouble again?" Rebekah rolls her eyes. She remembers Damon from Nik's university times. She used to visit her brother from time to time, always scowling at Damon's sidelong lascivious glances he was sending her. Thanks to Nik's overprotective nature Damon never laid a finger on her, but God knows how many times he tried.

"He's getting divorced."

"Wow! Katherine has finally seen through him."

"Since they got married he's been pretty decent, I must say." Klaus admits, still shocked about it. Damon did change when he married Katherine. It seemed like Cupid got him right in the heart. (And then, sadly, kicked his ass.)

"Well, just ask him about Stefan. And be diplomatic about it!" Klaus snorts, imagining his sister brandishing a threatening finger at him right now.

"I will, don't worry sweetheart."

"So... any plans for the evening? Romantic dinner or something?" Rebekah feigns an innocent tone.

Klaus shakes his head, _she would make the worst spy in the world_. "Well played, Bekah, but I'm not telling you anything."

"Damn you Nik!"

Klaus cackles at her and hangs up.

:-:

Caroline waits for Tyler in the park near her office. The sun is slowly setting, and light breeze caresses Caroline's face. Sitting on a swing, she's absently digging in the sand with one of her heels, trying to clear her mind and sort things out. Was her relationship an illusion? Was she just trying to fulfill her dream whatever the cost? She isn't even angry at him, she's rather disappointed. Partially at him, partially at herself.

"Hey." Tyler comes out of nowhere and places a light peck on Caroline's cheek, then sits down on the other swing. "Your message sounded ominous. What's wrong babe? Did I miss some important anniversary?" He jokes, but Caroline gives him such a stern look he stops smiling and swallows hard. He knows that look.

"Why didn't you tell me about your wild high school life?" She asks turning her head away from him, lowering her long thick lashes. Even from this angle Tyler can see she's upset.

"I thought it didn't matter."

"Well, it does." She raises her eyebrows expectantly at Tyler, waiting for him to come clean.

He starts nervously fiddling with his hands. "Caroline, listen to me. When you and I met, my first thought was: she is flawless. Not good, not fine, but simply perfect. My records, on the other hand, were far from it."

"I don't see your point." Caroline crosses her arms.

"My point is, I was ashamed. I did many things you wouldn't approve of."

"Like what?" _Stealing your mommy's scotch?_

Tyler's silent, waging an inner war. There are many things the Lockwoods keep secret. Facts about Tyler, about his parents, and family feuds. When his father was elected the mayor, all dirty secrets were swept under the rug, and lips were sealed. Their dirty laundry will never be washed in public. Maybe one day, when they're long married, he'll tell her. But not now, not like this.

"People that are to get married don't keep secrets from each other." The blonde says, her tone reproachful and bitter. How many skeletons in the closet does his family have? If she hadn't seen him drunk that night, would she ever know about his past?

"I just don't want you to think less of me."

Caroline slowly and resignedly shakes her head. "Tyler, if you knew me at all you would know I could never hold your past against you."

"You don't know so many things." He sighs. "Just leave it, Care. Like my mother says, whatever happened in the past has to stay in the past."

"You mother told you not to reveal anything to me, didn't she?" Step by step, the pieces of the puzzle start to make sense now. Caroline can't help but feel cheated.

"Yes. But it doesn't matter anymore, right?" He reaches to squeeze Caroline's hand, his eyes full of hope, but she withdraws her hand immediately.

"And Hayley? Does she matter?" Caroline's ice-cold stare makes him purse his lips in consternation.

"No, she doesn't. She never did. She was really fun, but I moved on. I would have dumped her after graduation anyway." He shrugs like it really didn't matter to him. Like that girl was just a toy.

"Why?"

"Because the truth is, I would never marry beneath me." His last sentence strikes Caroline a blow. So this is all about status. He's been brainwashed by his own family. If his mother hadn't given him her permission the night they first met, Tyler wouldn't have even talked to her.

A whole year of romantic dinners for show, expensive gifts, sweet nothings, quick sex at her place—it all looks staged now. A farce in which the main character is a downright fool till the very end. She thinks she's oh-so-smart judging other relationships, making them fall apart in court, while self-righteously believing that her life is different. That she isn't one of those victims of manipulative partners.

Look at you now. You naive, blind girl.

What's killing her is the fact that this enigmatic talk is the _most_ honest conversation they've ever had.

Tired of cryptic answers and manipulation, Caroline decides to play straight with him. "Tyler, I'm afraid we rushed into this whole marriage thing." There, she said it. And it hurts in the way only truth can hurt.

Tyler's left speechless for a moment. Caroline's words slowly sink in, and when they do, he gives her a stunned, frightened look. "No, we didn't. Everything will be fine." He's desperate.

"I realized I don't really _know_ you. I never have, and I'm afraid I never will."

"That's not true." He's shaking his head in denial, having a hard time accepting this shocking bit of news. "Ask me whatever you want. We still have six months. I'll be an open book for you till then."

"I'm sorry." Caroline looks up holding back tears that are brimming in her eyes. She's not sure whether she feels more sorry for herself, or for Tyler. ''But you can't build a relationship on quicksand.''

"You can't leave me now, Caroline. I love you." His pleading eyes are desperately looking for a modicum of hope in her icy-blues. Maybe she just needs him to talk her out of this crisis. Maybe she's just afraid. Maybe he should spend more time with her watching Casablanca. Maybe it's not a final decision. It _can't be_ her final decision.

Caroline's chin quivers as she whispers, "You are a bit lost. You love a girl your mother chose for you to love. I don't want your family to constantly look over my shoulder." She wishes she could say this looking him straight in the eyes, but she can't. Facing the truth about her life is the hardest thing she's ever done, and she can't stand it anymore. When Tyler doesn't say anything and just keeps staring at the ground, Caroline gets up and walks away, tears running down her cheeks.

Tyler just sits there on the swing shocked, bereft, and heartbroken.

:-:

''Cheers.'' Klaus and Damon raise their glasses as they sprawl on the couch in Damon's apartment. Actually, Damon and Katherine's apartment, but let's not be petty. She's moving out anyway.

Speaking of the devil. The key turns in the lock, and a slender silhouette appears in the doorway. Damon raises an eyebrow seeing Katherine who's too preoccupied by her phone conversation that she doesn't even notice two of her least favorite people staring at her from the living room. She heads straight to the bedroom and rummages in the drawers for the last pieces of jewelry she left there.

''You did the right thing.'' Katherine says with heartfelt empathy. ''Yes, I know, but it's better to end this now than run away from the altar, Caroline.''

The name immediately catches Klaus' attention and he strains his ears to listen to Katherine's conversation. As if on cue, Damon puts an index finger to his lips and turns off the light. He's curious about Caroline's predicament as well. They hide sinking further into the couch, praying the she-devil won't catch them in the act.

''Don't cry, honey. I'm on my way with vanilla ice-cream.''

Klaus smirks in the darkness. He just knew she was the vanilla type.

''You are a single woman now. It's a privilege, Care, not a curse. Just look at me!'' Katherine is gesturing energetically while checking herself out in the mirror.

Damon rolls his eyes. A curse? Being with her was a curse! _She_ was his curse! She was sent from the deepest pits of Hell to torment him alive!

Klaus can't believe his ears. Has the warrior princess just dumped her precious prince? That's… interesting. His lips curl into a malicious smile. _Very_ _interesting_.

''The only thing you'll miss is sex, but come on, we are emancipated women! No one can slut-shame us!'' Katherine lectures her friend while throwing a collection of earrings into her Prada.

Okay, Damon sighs, sex was good. More than good. Unearthly, pure bliss. But it's over, and now it's his time to play a bachelor on the loose. Go on a bender, hit the party, paint the town red, pick a girl and fuck her hard in a rest room. Yes, it's time for him to be back in the game. Yes.

''Of course you don't have to.'' She says reassuringly like Caroline was a scared little girl Katherine wanted to comfort. ''No rush. A short celibacy period has never hurt anyone.''

It's enough for Klaus' imagination to start working. All he sees now is horny beyond belief Caroline Forbes tearing his clothes off and shagging him like there's no tomorrow. And he enjoys every second of it. She pulls at his hair, rubs her tight goddess-like body against him, lets his hands roam freely over her curves… Engrossed in his erotic fantasies about the feisty blonde and whatnot, Klaus doesn't notice Katherine has already left. He squeezes his eyes shut, blinded and taken aback, when Damon turns on the light again.

''That was close.'' Damon breathes out relieved. Katherine's unexpected visit threw him off balance. ''Wanna go whoring?'' He grins.

''It's not really my cup of tea.'' Klaus snorts, amused by Damon's desperation. (Not that he himself had a massive hard-on just a minute ago while thinking about Miss Legally Blonde.)

Damon sulks. ''Yeah. I don't feel like rolling in the hay either.'' Truth be told, Damon hasn't felt like doing _anything_ since Katherine filed in for divorce. Having sex is on the very bottom of his to-do list. Eat, sleep, and survive are his top priorities now. Survive yet another day and not let her break him the way she broke his heart.

:-:

Wearing pink pajamas that make her look like cotton candy, Caroline waits in her bed for Katherine to come over and soothe her sorrows. Her face is swollen, her eyes puffy, and she's generally exhausted from crying.

That's not true that only the dumped part suffers. It's not like walking out of the door and starting over. It's not like tearing a page out of a book and throwing it away. It's like throwing wood into the fire and watching it burn, listening to its plaintive cracking as it slowly dies in the flames.

She hurt Tyler, and no matter how disappointed in him she felt, she was more disappointed in herself and in her poor life choices.

Caroline was on a constant mission to prove her worth not only as a lawyer, but also as a woman. Professional and composed on the outside, on the inside she was still an insecure neurotic freak on crack. The conviction that her father left her family because of her has been deeply rooted in her mind. Of course it was his father's suppressed homosexuality that finally came to the surface, but still, Caroline felt she let her father down. And now she let _herself_ down by living a lie, telling herself that Tyler and she were a match made in heaven. If anywhere, it was rather made on the set of a crappy soap opera called _Love and Deception_ or something equally cliché.

She's about to get a couple of chocolate bars from a secret stash under her bed when a new e-mail pops up on her laptop screen. Blood starts boiling in her veins when her eyes fall on the sender's data.

**From:** Klaus Mikaelson

**Subject:** Well, well, well.

_Congratulations on your quick way to the top, love. Half a page about your impeccable style! Who would have thought? _

_If I put on an Armani, will you save me a dance at the annual ABA party? _

_Fondly,_

_Klaus_

Caroline's hands clench into fists, and then she throws herself on the bed in a fit of rage, venting her frustration on the mattress, slamming against it, kicking her legs in the air, and cursing out loud.

''You goddamn son of a bitch!''

:-:

Later that night, around 2 or 3 am, a new message shows up in Klaus' inbox.

**From**: Caroline Forbes

**Subject**: Re: Well, well, well.

FCUK YOU AN YUR DIMPLES AND YR ACCENT

SINCERYELY

CARLINE

PS IM NT DRUN

The first thing Klaus does in the morning is spit his coffee on the screen after opening his email box.

:-:

Caroline calls in sick to work. Not that she has a boss to answer to, but she should leave the arrangements to Dana, her secretary. Broken marriages, depressed wives, unfaithful husbands and their young lovers will have to wait, because she doesn't feel like dealing with someone's drama right now. She doesn't feel like dealing with _life itself_ right now.

Why won't you just turn off the sun and let the world end?

Her phone buzzes for the fifteenth time today making Caroline vengefully stick it under a pillow. Katherine's been calling her since early morning, probably concerned about her friend's emotional state. The last thing on Earth Caroline wants right now is talk about Tyler. Or about a hit-man Carol Lockwood probably hired to finish Caroline off. Or about a victory party Richard Lockwood will be delighted to throw to celebrate his son's freedom.

Caroline munches at a protein chocolate bar that tastes like chalk mixed with sawdust. There's probably a whole periodic table in it. The phone starts buzzing again. Groaning and casting her eyes heavenwards Caroline grabs the device and rejects the call. Then she texts Katherine, _I'm fine. Don't worry_.

Taking yet another diet bar from under the bed, Caroline sprawls on the bed and turns TV on. It's past noon already, and for lack of anything better she watches re-runs of _Keeping Up With the Kardashians_.

"Tell'em, Scott!" She mumbles with her mouth full of low-calorie magic when her phone buzzes once more. Has Katherine launched a tele-offensive at her o something? Caroline gives up knowing that it's either five minutes with Kat on the phone or the rest of the day in hiding.

She picks up and grumbles, "Heartbreaker Inc., how can I help you?"

"I SWEAR I WILL KILL HIM THIS TIME! I WILL KILL HIM TO DEATH!" Katherine rages.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." The blonde snorts, not taking the threats seriously. She can hear loud music and roar of crowd over the phone. That's slightly alarming. "Where are you, Kat?"

"I'm in Vegas."

"What Vegas?" Caroline blinks and makes a face, confused.

"_Las_ Vegas, for God's sake! And I won't let that compulsive gambler leave our joint account at the casino!"

"Damon, a compulsive gambler?!" Caroline chokes on the piece of diet bar, and starts coughing and wheezing. How come she didn't know that? How come everyone, one of her closest friends included, is keeping secrets from her? What the hell is this, the Great Plague of Trust Issues?!

As pissed off as Caroline is right now, she's also aware that Katherine is well-known for her violent temper and tendency to act on impulse. And she seems pretty adamant about stopping Damon.

What if…

"When I put my hands on him, he's dead!" Katherine growls and hangs up.

…exactly. What if she crosses the line this time? It's not the courtroom where Caroline can keep her on a leash. Getting Kat out of jail would be _slightly_ more difficult than getting her out of a bad marriage.

Caroline slaps her hand against her forehead. Looks like it's time to set a world record in fast packing.

**~TBC~**

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**You better buckle up, because what happens in Vegas doesn't necessarily stay in Vegas! ;) **


	5. Pacta sunt servanda

**A/N**: I know it's been forever. I love you guys for not abandoning me and this story. I've been through a lot of shit lately that brought me to hospital eventually, but I think now I'm back and kicking :) You have been one of the best support group I've ever had!

Btw, I've started a gothic story "**Come Freely, Go Safely**". It is inspired by Bram Stoker's _Dracula,_ mostly because I wanted to experiment with a new style, but it looks like it's going to turn into a full fic. So if you are in the mood for some dark!klaroline, stay tuned!

Of course Null and Void is still in progress and just you wait for what I have in store for them in this story!

Now, ch5 is unbeta'd. Ye be warned.

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**5.**

**Pacta sunt servanda:**

agreements must be kept

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Cocktail dress? Check. A pair of matching heels? Check. A first-aid make-up bag? Check. Pepper spray? Check. (You can't be too careful when it comes to Vegas.)

Caroline sits down by one of the small windows and waits till the other passengers clamber onto the plane. Catching a last-minute flight isn't something entirely new to her, but as a control freak she hates to suddenly change her plans. She was supposed to spend the entire day watching reality shows, not to chase after Katherine and Damon around a roulette table.

Emergency spare tights? Check. Curling iron? Damn it. She drags a hands over her face, scolding herself for forgetting every woman's basic weapon. It's even more important than pepper spray. It's multifunctional. You can curl your hair and beat an attacker with it. Like a pro.

With a corner of her eye Caroline sees a gray suit take a seat to her right. His cologne wraps around her, making her close her eyes for a moment. A spicy composition with an orange note, she smiles dreamily to herself. Well, maybe this flight won't be that boring, Caroline thinks as she turns to exchange pleasantries with her new intriguing companion—

"Hello, sweetheart."

A familiar stubble-covered face of an A-level prick? Check.

Klaus' dimples beam at her as he asks innocently, "Hungover much?"

Looks like she might really need that pepper spray after all.

**:-:**

"You know, ignoring me won't make me disappear." Klaus quips. It's been over half an hour now and Caroline just sits there silent and sulky, with her arms crossed and lips pursed. He's not even worth the calories she burns talking to him.

She keeps looking through the window and fixes her stare on some distant point in the sky. She stares. And stares. Minutes pass, she still refuses to look at him. Finally she gives in to the temptation, and she discreetly glances to her right.

As soon as her eyes land on him, he grins at her proudly, "Ha. I knew it."

Caroline groans, "Why are you coming with me? I can handle Kat."

"Do you really think I would miss the sight of her attacking my client again?"

"You sound amused."

"You have no idea."

Of course he is, Caroline thinks rolling her eyes. Everything in his life, whether it's good or bad, seems to be just entertainment to him. She's sure if he knew about her personal drama, he would never drop the subject.

They sit in silence for the rest of the flight. Caroline sulks in her seat with her arms crossed like a little girl, while Klaus is smiling to himself and to everyone on the plane, Caroline included. It's so infuriating Caroline has to put on a silk sleeping eye patch in order not to go Mexican chainsaw massacre on him and the passengers.

She has to admit, he smells delicious. Well, not that he's bad looking either, but she does not fall for pretty eyes. Or sexy stubble. Or luscious lips. Or that accen— Nevermind.

It's a pity though, that a handsome packaging like his has such a nasty content.

She sighs and shifts in her seat, trying to get as comfortable as she can. Klaus can't help but stare at her parted lips as she slowly falls asleep. Her chest rises and falls rhythmically, her full breasts drawing his attention. A shiver of excitement runs through his body at the thought of his hands roaming over her body, his lips sucking at her bare skin. There's something about her that awakens a feeling in him he thought he had buried long time ago. Not a mere physical attraction-he's been with many beautiful women-but a wild, authentic want.

How fascinating, he thinks, to feel like that after so many years.

When they finally land in Vegas, she's fully asleep and Klaus has to give her a gentle shake. When he touches her it's like an electric spark run through her making her jump in her seat. She instantly takes a sharp breath, tears the eye patch off, and looks at him confused.

"Vegas, love." He explains smirking at her, and carries her luggage along with his to the exit.

**:-:**

Damon is loosening his tie in front of the mirror in his hotel bathroom when he hears knocking. Groaning, angry that someone interrupts him when he's already late, he trudges to the door. When he opens it—

"Ka-boom!"

—a bucket of water gets splashed right in his face. Still in shock, he wipes it with his sleeve and opens his eyes just to see his dearest wife standing in front of him with her hands put pugnaciously on her hips.

"If I had a dollar for every time you went psycho on me, I'd _own_ this casino." He says, his tone bitterly derisive.

"This was to cool your gambling fever down." Katherine snorts. Then she raises her hand preparing to slap him across the face, but this time Damon is faster. He grabs her by the wrist stopping her from striking and does the same when she raises the other hand.

"Are we really gonna do this?" She says tauntingly, raising her eyebrows and pouting. Damon doesn't loosen his grip, just stares at her with his upper lip curled up in anger. "We both know I can rip you to shreds and do my nails at the same time."

"Do we?" Damon says through the gritted teeth, and much to Katherine's surprise he violently pulls her inside.

**:-:**

"So, what's the plan?" Caroline's voice is coming from behind the bathroom door while Klaus sits on the bed in her hotel room, waiting for her to change. The lady at the reception was very eager to book a honeymoon room for them, and Caroline (blushing and huffing) made it very—he means _very_ clear—that they are definitely _not_ married, or not even together.

"We need to find Damon first. It's just nine o'clock, I'm sure it hasn't been long since he entered the casino."

"Katherine can be already waiting there to waylay him." Caroline agrees.

Klaus shakes his head at the sound of hairspray being sprayed all over her hair. "Are you done? We don't have all night so you can primp and preen." What he really thinks is, she doesn't _need_ primping and preening.

"Says the guy that reads a fashion column and emails me afterwards." She snickers.

A malicious grin appears on Klaus' face. "Says the woman that drunk-emails me about my dimples and accent in the middle of the night."

The hairspray container hits the floor with a loud clank.

**:-:**

Fifteen minutes later the bathroom door opens, and so does Klaus' mouth. She looks ravishing in the simple tight black strapless dress. His eyes grow big and hungry at the sight of her long legs in the killer heels. Golden waves are cascading past her shoulders, her face radiant and effervescent. He quickly shakes out of the shock not wanting her to think he's struck.

Caroline sees he's changed clothes as well to a black designer suit, and as much as she doesn't want to admit it, he looks like a (hot) secret agent from movies. There's just one detail the control freak in her needs to change. Klaus looks as she sashays to him and then reaches out towards his neck. Her hands rest on the knot of his black tie and shift it to the right, adjusting it.

Klaus freezes in his place. He looks down at the fence of her long eyelashes that lift slowly as her eyes travel up from his tie to the moles on his neck. And then to his lips. And then her icy-blues meet his stunned stare. They are just inches apart staring at each other, with her still tugging at his tie. All he needs, Klaus thinks, is just one move forward and…

Caroline is the first to break the moment. "Here," she says and pats him awkwardly on the tie. "We have to go."

She's about to rush to the door when he catches her wrist, making her spin around in shock. "What—"

"Your purse." He says, pointing at the small coffee table with his free hand.

"It's a _clutch_. And thanks." She mumbles embarrassed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Caroline feels the atmosphere in the room get unbearably tense, filled with what she would never dare call by its name.

Grabbing the clutch, she dashes out of the room.

** :-:**

"Pick up, you damn thing." Caroline mutters pacing around the foyer with her cell phone stuck against her ear. They looked literally everywhere, asked every security guard they could, they showed photos to people present at the casino, and they were close to break into the security room to make an announcement. All in vain.

The Salvatores seem to have vanished into thin air. The best case scenario is that they got busy and haven't met eventually. The worst–one of them is torturing the other in a red room of pain somewhere in the forgotten dungeons under the casino.

"If you don't, I swear—"

"Hello?"

"Oh thank God! Where are you, Kat?"

"In my hotel room." Katherine says flatly. "Something's wrong?"

"Something's WRONG?!" Caroline shouts, drawing people's attention. She clears her throat, and whispers in a hoarse voice. "What did you think when you went to Vegas, huh? Please do not tell me you're torturing Damon in your room! Believe me when I tell you, you don't want to switch a bad marriage for prison, no matter how similar they look!"

"Don't worry, Care. I've changed my mind." Katherine's tone is calm, almost too calm, Caroline thinks.

"I don't believe you."

"Can we talk later? I'm with someone right now."

The blonde blinks as if it was a joke she couldn't get. "Wait. What do you mean, _with someone_?"

"I mean I'm busy."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE BUSY WHAT ARE YOU—"

"See you later, hon." Smacking her lips, Katherine hangs up.

Caroline hits herself on the forehead with her hand. "Shit!"

** :-:**

"I'm at your favourite casino and won't leave it without you, do you hear me?" Klaus threatens Damon on the phone.

"It sounds really romantic bro, but I must disappoint you. I'm not there." Damon taunts him.

"Where the hell are you then?"

"At my hotel room, with the fairest of them all. And just to be clear, I don't need your help with that one." He chuckles, obviously sipping a drink.

"If you got into trouble again, I will kill you with my bare hands, Damon." Klaus growls, but then he hears a soft laugh coming from Damon's phone. His friend's indeed with some woman, and she enjoys it as much as he does.

"So I went here from Chicago just to discover you've moved on?" Klaus' irritated tone doesn't go unnoticed.

"Sorry, man. Just enjoy the night and put it on my bill, okay?"

"Well then. Call me tomorrow."

"You bet I will." Damon sings mockingly to the phone and hangs up.

Katherine takes a drag from Damon's cigarette and stretches under the white bed covers. "How generous of you." Damon lies naked on his side, propping his head on one hand, his eyes stare hungrily at his wife.

"You'll say that after I'm done with you." He grins and gets closer to her.

When she found him a few hours ago, she was ready to tear him apart. She knocked all the things off the shelves and tables. Yelling and raging, she threw a lamp at him. When he ducked it, she lunged forward. He grabbed her and threw her on the bed, straddling her and pinning her hands down above her head... and then he lost it. The tension that has built in him for the past months, the time bomb he was carrying inside, has exploded. The next moment he was kissing her like crazy, fighting for breath but unable to leave her lips. He tore her top apart and ground his hips into hers panting heavily into her neck. Then she ripped his shirt apart and tugged at his belt. This was the best angry sex they've ever had. They kept kissing, biting, and clawing at each other's naked bodies till they came together, moaning and shouting _I hate you_ and _I hate you more_. That's their catharsis.

"Again?" Katherine sends him a seductive smile as she leans in for the kiss.

Damon's lips linger above hers as he whispers, "And again. And again."

**:-:**

"Looks like we're not needed here." Klaus announces as he walks back to the foyer. Caroline's waiting for him on a red couch, her legs crossed. She's frowning, angry that she had to stop her pity party because of a false alarm. Why does she always think about the others first? Why can't she, for a change, think about what she wants. Why can't she have fun and even go crazy if she wants to? She's young and successful, she has money, she has good looks. Why can't she make use of all the chief assets she has?

She will have fun, even if just for one night, but she will. No more miss pouty. It's Vegas, after all.

"Everything oka—" Klaus wants to ask, but then she jumps to her feet and heads to the door leading to the casino. Men turn around in her wake, gaping at her swaying hips and killer heels.

"I'm going to have fun! Join me if you dare, Mr. Bond!"

**:-:**

"Bartender!" She snaps her fingers. "The same again, please."

"I remember you said you would rather die of thirst than join me for a drink." Klaus laughs. They sit in a booth in a crowded bar the roaring twenties style where people come when they take a break from spending money on cards and games and want to spend it on drinks instead.

It's been an hour now, and Caroline feels a little tipsy. Thanks to alcohol she doesn't question her motives for being with Klaus in such a cramped space. She's just having fun, and who really cares it's Klaus who keeps her company?

"Well, don't get used to it." She finishes her drink and smiles at the bartender who is on his way to their booth with new ones. "It's just—thank you very much, Bertie—it's just the magic of Vegas."

Klaus smiles to himself as if he doesn't believe her. She's been acting weird lately, and today she does look a bit unstable too, no matter how bravely she tries to cover it.

"I'm sorry."

Caroline quizzically raises an eyebrow at him.

"About you and young Lockwood."

For a split of a second he looks so sincere Caroline feels touched, but then she remembers who is she talking to. This guy is a lawyer, which—she knows it better than anyone—is an unofficial synonym for a liar. Besides, that guy knows how to pick a car lock for goodness sake! How many lawyers occasionally break into cars for fun?

Crossing her arms she snorts, "That's none of your business actually."

Klaus downs his drink in one gulp. "I'm just expressing my concern for a fellow lawyer in distress."

"How noble of you, Mr. Accent."

"How many pet names do you have in store for me, love?" He chuckles, his eyes fixed on her flushed face. Caroline realizes she does keep calling him different names, but never his real one.

"What's your full name?"

"Niklaus. My mother has a peculiar taste in names."

Caroline slowly nods her head in understanding. "It could have been worse. Like, Randy for example." Just imagine, Randy Mikaelson.

"Thank you, Caroline Juniper Tallulah Forbes."

Caroline's eyes grow big as saucers. "Ho— Wha— You did not— How dare you!" Her cheeks have a beetroot shade now, and she's shivering with anger. Klaus, on the other hand, is having a blast. "Ha-ha." Caroline groans. "Very funny! _Hilarious_!" But then she shakes her head and smiles at his hearty, sincere laugh. She kind of likes it.

Seeing her smile, Klaus decides to try his luck. As slow tune starts to seep from the speakers, he extends his hand and winks at her. "Come on, one dance. I won't bite."

Caroline is feeling woozy from all the drinks she had, so she doesn't really think about it—she just takes his hand and lets him lead her to the center of the dancefloor. His grip on her hand is tender yet firm, and somehow it makes her feel safe. He pulls her closer, maybe too close for her own good, and his left hand rests gently on her back. They sway to Ella Fitzgerald's sensual voice.

_Someday he'll come along, the man I love_

_And he'll be big and strong, the man I love_

_And when he comes my way_

_I'll do my best to make him stay_

"You'd fit into the nineteen twenties, Caroline." Klaus says in a low voice. "The girls were reckless." He brings his lips even closer to her ear. "Sexy." Caroline feels shivers running down her spine. "Fun. They used to dance until they dropped." He smiles and suddenly spins around with her like she was just a weightless doll. She giggles.

"I'm sure you would be a bootlegger."

"You think that low of me?" He mocks her. Caroline raises her eyes to look at him, but her gaze stops at his lips. So full. So inviting.

"No, it just..." She swallows, still staring like hypnotized. "It just suits you." Because he's got the animal magnetism of a gangster.

_He'll look at me and smile, I'll understand_

_And in a little while he'll take my hand_

_And though it seems absurd_

_I know we both won't say a word_

His grip around her waist tightens a little. Pressed against his body, she closes her eyes and lets her forehead rest on his chest.

**:-:**

A few drinks later they're both tanked up. Klaus definitely bears it better than Caroline. It's getting late, and he thinks it's high time she went to bed. Preferably his, of course, Klaus wouldn't object, but he isn't blind. She needs some good rest.

He admits it feels strange to care this way about someone again. It's been so long.

"I believed in marriage. I really did." Caroline sighs as they trudge along one of the many hallways. She has no idea where the exit is, and truth be told, neither does he. "I thought Tyler and I were different than my clients."

Klaus keeps walking in silence, not wanting to engage in a conversation about her ex. There are things you don't do if you plan to seduce a woman. First of all, you don't let her push you away into a friend zone so she can cry on your shoulder. She has her girl friends and gay friends for that.

"I earn my living helping to destroy people's fairytale dreams. Why does marriage exist at all if people don't _care_ about the vows anymore? Words have no importance nowadays."

If Klaus knew Caroline tends to get all philosophical when drunk, he wouldn't have offered her so many drinks.

"I think marriage is a state of mind." He lets her hold onto his arm so she stops staggering on her high heels.

"But they swear to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do them part!"

"I don't make promises I can't keep."

Caroline purses her lips and frowns at his cynical attitude towards marriage. She shouldn't be surprised.

"Admit it. You just couldn't deal—" she hiccups. "With being a husband."

Klaus lets out a laugh. "No. But I don't think any woman could handle a husband like me."

"I would." Caroline blurts. "I would marry you—" She hiccups again. "—just to make you pay for your fucking—yes, I've said that!—_fucking_ cynicism. I would teach you— A lesson!"

Now he's more than amused. She looks hilarious standing in the hallway, struggling to keep her balance, fighting off a hiccup while being so clever-clever and self-righteous. He leans closer to her so their noses almost touch, and with his gaze locked with hers, he mocks her, "Don't make threats you can't carry out, love."

She keeps her chin up as she says (hiccups) boldly, "Watch— me."

**TBC**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**A/N: *laughs maniacally and disappears in a puff of smoke* **


	6. Par delictum

**A/N: **This chapter is dedicated to lovely** M.** who will pack me into one of her suitcases and take me to London one day. :)

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Par delictum:**

equal fault

**.**

**.**

**.**

Sunlight seeping through the window makes Caroline grimace in her sleep and she turns over onto her left side. Christ, her head is pounding. There's an icky feeling in her chest and stomach, and she prefers not to move in case the feeling wants to travel up her throat. To open her eyes or not to open them, that is the question.

The covers are so warm and cozy. She pulls them higher up her neck and decides to lie there burrito-style till she feels better. The next century perhaps.

There's a movement on the other side of the bed that puts her on her guard. Last time she checked her room was definitely a single one, with no additional perks like—

—the _bare_ back of Klaus Mikaelson sleeping next to her. In her bed. Under her covers. Let me remind you once again, _without_ _a stitch on_.

"Oh. My. God." Now she knows why the bed covers feel so good against her skin - she's pretty much naked too. And two naked people in one bed equal... "HOLY SHIT OH NO OH NO OH NO!" Like the covers were burning, Caroline jumps out of the bed taking the covers with her, revealing Klaus' naked (and quite sexy) butt to the world.

The sudden and loud noise makes Klaus lazily turn over onto his back, exposing more _nakedness_ than Caroline could bear right now (she didn't take him for a tattoo kind of a guy though). He opens his eyes with difficulty, squinting at the sunlight. He's too confused to say anything, especially when a pillow lands on his face a second later.

"For goodness sake, cover yourself!" Caroline's cheeks are burning as she yells at him while clutching at a makeshift robe made out of the bedcover.

"You can always turn away, you know." He groans putting a hand over his eyes, blocking the sun. Caroline gasps and turns away faster than she should. The whole world starts spinning around her—"Holy shit!"—and she lands on the fluffy carpet with a loud THUD!

Keeping the pillow between his legs, covering what he thinks has no reason to be covered at all, Klaus moves over to the edge of the bed and looks down at Caroline who's lying on the floor with her eyes closed.

"Are you okay, love?"

A hand shoots up in the air brandishing an accusatory finger at him. "Don't! Seriously!" And then she lets out a painful cry when her head starts throbbing again. "Aaahh! Why?! Why me?!"

Memories of the last night start coming to her mind in flashbacks. Short ones, but _very_ vivid. _She remembers lying on top of him, kissing his neck, biting it..._ Sweet Jesus, she's never bitten anyone in her whole life!

"I AM A BURRITO OF SHAME!" Caroline sobs dramatically.

Klaus rolls his eyes and picks her up from the floor, then gently puts back on the bed. Of course she keeps her eyes prudishly closed.

Looking down at her half-drunk-half-asleep form he sighs, "Burrito needs to sober up first."

:-:

Leaving her asleep in the bed, Klaus sneaks out to his room which is, very conveniently, right across the hallway. He picks some clean clothes and goes straight under the shower. Hot water running down his body is relaxing enough he starts to remember bits and pieces of what happened last night.

_There's a nearby chapel with Elvis (how cliché, he thinks) and a pink Cadillac. He remembers kissing her, pressing his hand at the back of her head that has a tacky veil on, and she's kissing him back. _

Stunned, he runs his hands through his wet locks.

_They are laughing like two teenagers, and she grabs his tie, pulling him, leading him to her room. He remembers falling on his back, landing on the soft mattress. _

Wiping the steamed up mirror with the palm of his hand, he blinks twice in utter shock: his neck is covered with bruises and hickeys, and there's a bite mark on his left collar bone. He turns his back to the mirror only to see bright red scratches coming from his shoulder blades down his back.

"Hm. Interesting."

Then something else catches his attention. There's a metal ring painted gold on his left hand. As cheap as it looks, it's still an unmistakable symbol of the marital tie.

Klaus throws his head back and starts laughing like mad, unable to believe his eyes. "You must be kidding me!"

:-:

_You may kiss the bride._

_And so he does. He's kissing her all the way to the hotel, pushing her against the walls, and against the mirror in the elevator. His lips are so soft yet demanding, and it turns her on even more. __She buries her fingers in his short curls and clings to him like her life depended on it. Molding into his body. Feeling waves of heat. Spiraling down along with the world around her. It's crazy but feels too good to stop. More than good. Exhilarating._

_He has tattoos, quite a few, and she likes them. _

_He brushes a strand of hair off her face. _

_He asks if she wants it and she says—_

"Fuck!" All sweaty and with her heart pounding like church bells, Caroline sits up straight in the bed.

:-:

No sooner does she wake up than Klaus enters her room-fully clothed this time, thank God-with an unreadable expression on his face.

"I see Burrito is up." He quips, but Caroline just glares at him from the bed. Remembering she's still naked, she protectively pulls the covers up her neck. Klaus is about to say that there's no need for modesty now after he's seen it all, but Caroline seems upset enough for him to see it would be unwise to additionally tease her. He smiles instead.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been starring in The Hangover part four." She mutters. "Why the hell are you looking as fresh as a daisy?" That's so unfair. She feels like a bulldozer has run over her, while that bastard looks brand-new.

Klaus sits on the edge of the bed and shakes his head, laughing a little. "You don't drink much, do you?" He does have a little headache, but it's a far cry from the hangover she's struggling with—on both moral and physical grounds.

Caroline sulks. "No. Alcohol disturbs my Zen."

"Obviously." He says under his breath. Then he notices a sheet of paper crumpled on the floor, right next to his feet. Intrigued, he picks it up and unfolds it. His eyes grow big with surprise which instantly alarms Caroline.

"What is it?" Klaus is still looking at the with a goofy smile on his face. "What is it, Klaus?!"

Eventually she snatches it from Klaus' hands and starts reading.

_This is to certify that the undersigned Reverend Andrew Young did on the 12 day of April 2012 at Mystic Chapel, Nevada, join in lawful wedlock Klaus Mikaelson of Chicago, Illinois, and Caroline Forbes of Chicago, Illinois, with their mutual consent, in the presence of Meredith Fell and Alaric Saltzman. _

She grimaces. "Who the hell are Whatshername Fell and... _Alaric Saltzman?_ Is it German? What are some random tourists doing at my wedding?" Then it hits her. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IN LAWFUL WEDLOCK WHAT IS THIS WHAT CONSENT WHAT THE HELL?!"

Panicking, she bores her terrified eyes into him, searching for the answer, hoping he'll say it's all just a misunderstanding. Instead, he reaches out and takes her left hand, showing to her what she's been dreading most. _A wedding ring_. Then he shows her his left hand too.

"No." She gasps and squeezes her eyes shut. Maybe when she opens them again, it will be gone.

No such luck. It's still there on her left hand, screaming at her with its tacky gold paint. Not only is it a tangible proof of what she's done, but it's also cheap like a bubblegum thingy. Dear Lord, Caroline thinks as she hides her face in her hands. What is her life?! What are her choices?! How does a marriage out of stupidity and drunkenness reflect on her reputation? Moreover, how will a divorce reflect on her reputation?

Sitting there naked, seeing evidence of her own foolishness, Caroline Forbes (or should she call herself Mikaelson now?!) bursts into tears. She sobs, sniffs, and wails at the top of her voice.

"So this is it?!" She cries. "First we had sex, and now you're telling me we also got _married_?!"

Klaus just nods, and—unable to hold it back—he starts laughing. And he laughs heartily, like it was a good joke. Irritated and boiling inside, Caroline crumples the certificate again and throws it angrily at him.

"What's so funny, you idjit?!" She growls, swallowing her tears. "Does the fact that you married a stranger amuse you?!

"Yes, it does amuse me, immensely so." Klaus says, grinning at her.

"Why didn't you stop it?!" She reproaches him.

"You mean, why didn't I stop _you_?" He retorts. If Klaus remembers anything from the last night-and apparently he remembers more than Caroline—he knows it was her who spurred the whole thing. He just wanted her to go to sleep. When a woman drags you before the altar and then into her bedroom, there's only so much you can do.

Caroline purses her lips, her face getting even more red.

"I didn't stop you," he continues looking her straight in the eyes, "because till the very end I was sure you would get cold feet."

"Well, I showed you, didn't I?" Caroline snaps angrily at Klaus, still blaming him for their current situation.

"Don't act like you didn't enjoy it, sweetheart." He narrows his eyes at her, a vicious smile playing on his lips. "You are everything but innocent here. I remember too well your throwing me at this bed—" He doesn't finish because Caroline lunges at him, violently pushing him off the bed.

"Stop it!" She huffs, trying to keep the bed covers against her chest. "You aren't the victim here!"

Klaus stands in front of her with a smug face, and says, "Neither are _you."_

"Get. Out."

The more infuriated she gets, the more amused he is. "At least we waited till our wedding night."

"GET OUT!"

:-:

After crying for another hour or so, Caroline finally gets up and takes a shower. It's already 3 p.m. No matter how dramatic her situation, she's still a human being, and humans tend to get hungry. She can't deal with so much shit on an empty stomach, can she?

The memories of the last night craze come flooding back. As much as she hates to admit it, Klaus was right. She did it because she wanted to, and she did enjoy it.

_His hands roaming all over her body, squeezing and kneading, caressing her. She remembers she loved the feeling of his touch on her skin, and his lips—oh his lips!—even more. Her hands pinned to the bed while he explored her body. Oh God, those butterfly kisses Klaus peppered her body with, starting from her neck, going down over her breasts, then over her bellybutton… _

Yeah. She can almost hear Enrique Iglesias singing in the background.

A shiver of excitement runs through her body, which makes her even angrier. Not thinking much, she slaps herself on the face. "Stop it, Caroline. Stop it."

:-:

Klaus sits at the table in the hotel restaurant, eating some first-class Italian food (he makes a mental note to leave a huge tip for the cook) and thinking about the last night. He smiles dreamily to himself. It has been one of the best nights in his life, even though it seems only a one-sided feeling. He has done many crazy things in his life—some of them would make a better movie than The Hangover—but last night he felt something he hasn't felt for a long time. A deep connection to someone who isn't family. Apart from sex, which was a display of mind-blowing, all-consuming passion, there were also moments of pure fun and silent yet mutual understanding.

Too bad she probably doesn't remember the most of it.

:-:

Caroline orders dinner to her room so she doesn't have to go downstairs and risk meeting her _husband_ (oh God, how terrible it sounds). Her phone buzzes with a new message from Katherine. _I booked the tickets to Chicago for 10 am tomorrow. See you at the airport. A lot to talk about on the way home. Kat_

"Yeah, I'm sure there's a lot to talk about, you crazy—" Caroline mumbles to herself, but then her chicken casserole arrives along with a salad and a lot of sparkling water.

Devouring her food, stuffing herself with it hamster-style, Caroline notices she's still wearing the ring. She takes it off and looks down at that piece of junk. Just some metal and cheap golden paint, nothing more. But somehow she doesn't have the courage to throw it away.

Her cheeks burn bright red at the memory of his _perversely_ contented face. Of course he's tickled pink, he's got what he wanted after all. He humiliated her professionally. Now he can triumphantly parade around, as proud as a peacock. Ugh.

It still seems alike a bad dream that she'll wake up from soon. Any minute now. Like, _right_ _now_ maybe?

Fuck you, Inception.

She remembers enough to just hide somewhere far away in the Grand Canyon and die of shame. Centuries later someone will find her skeleton lying on the ground, still disgraced and woeful. One night in Vegas with that pest has cost Caroline her maiden name, her reputation, and God only knows what else. Their divorce must be carried out quickly and in secret. Hopefully everything that happened in Vegas will stay in Vegas. Maybe in fifty years time she'll finally forget about this degrading night of debauchery and will regain at least a bit of self-respect.

:-:

Katherine scrolls down some gossip webpage, laughing at various entertainment scandals and rumors. Of course she reads gossips about herself, who in this industry doesn't?

"Anything interesting?" Damon chuckles as he enters their room dripping with water and wearing only a white fluffy towel around his waist. Katherine's always liked him with his hair wet, and so she takes a second to admire her strikingly handsome husband. Then she's back to scrolling, reading aloud whatever catches her attention.

"Nothing much. Jenna, you know who, she played in my last TV series, has a new haircut. Oh, and she broke up with Logan, you know who, he played—"

"Your stalker in your last TV series."

"Yeah. Brangelina still together, Britney on rehab, and—OH MY GOD LOOK AT THIS!" She gasps and turns her laptop so Damon can see the screen. There's a photo of them kissing on the street at night followed by an article.

_KAT AND DAMON BACK TOGETHER!_

_Just when we thought they were at daggers drawn, **Damon** and **Kat** are back together proving their status of the hottest couple of the year! Paparazzi caught them last night near a parking lot in Las Vegas where they were, let's put it this way, **restoring marital harmony** against a tree. _

Katherine groans. There's a picture of them making out which was probably taken when they went out to buy a bottle of Katherine's favourite wine.

_Apparently the couple went to Vegas with their attorneys, and it turns out the quarrelsome lovers not only made peace, but also helped their friends get hitched! **Caroline Forbes**, Chicago's new hot name and a famous lawyer-fashionista, and **Klaus Mikaelson**, a sexy Brit that rubs shoulders with the richest in the city, **tied the knot** during their stay in **Vegas**. _

_Whether a divorce led to a wedding, or it's a wedding that led to a truce, we are happy to hear good news from both the Salvatores and the Mikaelsons! Cheers! _

A blurry pic of a couple that does look like Caroline and Klaus kissing each other by the altar renders both Katherine and Damon speechless. They just stare at the screen then look puzzled at each other, and then go back to staring at the screen, their jaws hanging low.

**:-:**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**A/N: **Oops? And that was just the beginning.


	7. Quid pro quo

**Chapter 7**

**Quid pro quo**:

this for that

:-:

Early in the morning, Caroline trudges to the airport cafeteria for a magic potion called double espresso. Dark circles under her eyes hint at yet another rough night, this time a sleepless one. She just couldn't stop staring at the wedding ring that was lying on the night table. She tried everything — sending it threatening glares, pleading looks, and even challenging glances. All in vain. The ring was still there, stubbornly reminding her of the biggest no-no in her life.

Fortunately divorces in Las Vegas may be taken care of quickly, quietly, and without the interested parties present at the court. In fact chances are nobody will even know about it and her reputation will be saved. Hope dies last, right? Rrriiiight.

Maybe it's just physical and mental fatigue, but Caroline feels as if a legion of eyes was staring inquisitively at her. When she looks around, everyone's back to minding their own business. Geez, that's creepy, she thinks and decides to move to the departure lounge.

:-:

_I love the woman I'm becoming. I give myself permission to both fail and succeed_. "Oh, I'm a master of epic failure." She sighs to herself as a personal mantra hums on Caroline's iPod. She waits for Kat sitting in a comfy chair with her eyes closed, trying to believe the deep sultry voice that's talking to her.

_I am capable of making healthy choices_. "Yeah, and even more capable of spectacularly screwing things up."

_I recognize that my past does not have to define me._ "My future doesn't look bright either."

_I define myself by my character not my circumstance_. "An insecure, neurotic control freak on crack."

_I am exactly where I need to be_. "At the stinking airport instead of a luxurious SPA."

_I will be led by my dreams. I will be fueled by passion_. "Not by alcohol, that's for sure. Like, never again."

_I have the ability to see the brighter side_. "At least I didn't confuse pepper spray with hairspray."

_I am a sexual being capable of extreme intimacy_. "Don't even get me started on that one."

A light pat on her shoulder shakes her out of meditation. Caroline's eyes shoots open and she sits straight up, earphones falling out of her ears. When she looks up, she sees Klaus towering above her, his eyebrows raised in amusement. She groans at the thought of them stuck on the same plane again, and at that grin plastered on his face.

"Good morning, sweetheart."

"Please don't tell me you're taking the same flight."

"I am, actually. I'm waiting for Damon, he's got some big news for me, or so he said."

"Did he? Hmmm." Something tells her it's not a coincidence. Her suspicions are confirmed when she notices Katherine and Damon walking together hand in hand. Damon's wearing a smug smile while Katherine starts waving at them like a silly teenager. There's something bad afoot, Caroline thinks as Katherine sashays towards them with a mischievous grin.

"Hello hello!"

Caroline crosses her arms. "Hello _you_ _owe me an explanation_ hello."

"You should take better care of her," Kat winks at Klaus, "she's awfully grouchy in the morning." Klaus wrinkles his forehead and exchanges a wary look with Caroline.

"You two haven't read anything online, have you?" Damon chuckles. The lawyers shake their heads slowly, getting more and more suspicious.

"Well," Katherine beams, "we are happy to cancel our divorce!"

Klaus cocks an eyebrow at Damon. Caroline stares at Kat wide-eyed. It takes a minute or two for the message to be processed. When it finally sinks in, both Klaus and Caroline fire questions at the couple.

"What does it—"

"Are you crazy— "

"—wasted time—"

"—so much trouble—"

"—make me wanna barf—"

"—two spoiled kids—"

"—just, seriously?!"

Katherine and Damon stand there equally stunned, glaring daggers at their friends. Kat pretty much sums their feelings when she demonstratively puts her hands on her hips and snaps at Caroline, "Excuse me?"

Caroline mimics Katherine's move and barks back, "You heard me missy."

"As my friend you should be happy for me!"

"As my friend you should think twice before making my life a mess!"

"A mess?!" Katherine almost squeals with anger. "Thanks to me you got a fanbase and your own tag on tumblr! You're getting famous just for being yourself while I have to work hard!"

Caroline snarls contemptuously at her friend, "You think it's a goddamn blessing?! How delusional are you?!" She angrily brandishes a fist at Kat. "You'll get back to your old life, but my life will never be the same!"

Klaus puts a hand on Caroline's shoulder hoping to have a calming effect on her. "Easy love, you're making a scene."

"Ah, look at you. So married already." Damon ironically chimes in.

"Yeah. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Mikaelson." Kat hisses, squinting her eyes at Caroline, angry at the blond for not telling her about the secret wedding plans.

Caroline opens her mouth, about to shout and reprimand Katherine, but then stops. She blinks twice in shock, then gulps. "What—What did you say?"

"Read it for yourself." Katherine pulls her phone out of her bag and searches for a certain webpage, then hands the device to Caroline. Klaus observes Caroline's face going through fifty shades of OH NO, getting paler and paler as she reads it. Pure horror paints on her face, building up like water against a dam. She starts hyperventilating.

Then she bursts with rage. "Whaaaaat?! Is this some kind of a cruel joke?! Am I getting punk'd? UGH! Because you two aren't even half as funny as Ashton!" She's gasping and hissing and throwing her fists in the air—so much for not making a scene.

Klaus slaps his forehead and lets out a short laugh. Out-of-control Caroline is one of the most hilarious things he's ever seen. Especially when she collapses to the floor and cries, _Seriously?!_

He did not expect their marriage would go public, but it certainly spices up the game.

:-:

When they finally get on the plane, the Salvatores sit as far from the Mikaelson as they can. The atmosphere is so tense Damon and Klaus decide to keep their wives away from each other. As they conclude, men usually solve personal conflicts before they escalate. Women, on the other hand, just wait for it to happen. It's going to be a tough challenge, preventing a catfight from happening on the plane.

"Tyler's gonna kill me." Too exhausted to kick up another row, she just sighs. After a stage of extreme anger, now comes a stage of hopelessness.

"I thought you two ended things." Klaus feels a slight prick of jealousy. He hides it behind a mask of indifference, though.

"Yeah, because I told him I didn't really _know_ him. And guess what. Two days later, I married a stranger." Caroline's tone is bitter and full of resentment.

Klaus doesn't say anything, just snatches a random magazine from a passing flight attendant and stares absently at it, his jaw clenched. As funny as the situation may seem to him, he's also irritated by Caroline's exaggerated disgust. He could swear she's a worse drama queen than his sister—and that's quite an accomplishment.

"Look at my life! Look at my choices!" Caroline whines. An old couple sitting nearby casts her a puzzled look. "I just got married." She explains with a wry smile, and the couple nods with pity and understanding.

"Her mouth was all over me." Klaus says indifferently and opens the magazine. "I was an innocent victi—GAHHHHHH!" He lets out a painful growl when a set of five sharp nails dig into his thigh. He bangs his head against the backrest of his seat. His furious stare meets Caroline's vicious one. Holding back whatever he wants to say, Klaus starts reading, pretending that _Homes and Gardens_ has never been more interesting.

:-:

_Have a happy married life!_ Caroline rolls her eyes.

_All the best for the times ahead._ Oh yeah, so much happy moments ahead o them.

_May this marriage strengthen the bond the two of you already share._ This one makes her choke on her diet coke.

"Yes... Yes. YES. Thank you. Of course. Bye!" The sweetest smile possible vanishes from Caroline's face as she slams the handset against the phone on her desk. Nobody warned her that people would cluck so much over her wedding. Apparently, most of her former clients read tabloids and webpages that pander to primitive tastes of bored housewives. The divorcees are more thrilled about Caroline's wedding than the newly married lawyer herself. They squee, they ooh and ahh over it, and of course they are sure she will never share the fate of her clients.

Caroline lets out a sigh staring tiredly into space, remembering some lyrics she once heard. "Instead of love and trust and laughter, what you get is _happy never after_."

Neither her mother nor her father called. It's been three days now. As much as she's glad the rumors haven't spread all over the country (she's just a seasonal topic, thank God), she can't deny she's a tad disappointed.

Caroline always felt like collateral damage. Like she just happened by accident, the way many men are born or die. All her life she's been trying so hard to prove herself worthy, but she was never the one. Her mother never went to Caroline's cheerleading practice, and her father didn't even call when she graduated from law school. She may have her brilliant career and well-deserved reputation, but Caroline's parents are never among the people who applaud her.

Tyler doesn't call either. It reaffirms her opinion that she doesn't know him at all. She's sure he thinks she's been cheating on him, so she expected an angry call, grudges and complaints, accusations, shouting. She expected Carol Lockwood to go all This Is Sparta on her, yet the Lockwoods remain surprisingly tight-lipped about that. It's as much a relief as an intriguing situation, Caroline has to admit.

The phone rings again, and April, Caroline's secretary and her secret fan, says it's yet another thrilled client on the line. Caroline rolls her eyes, but plays along nevertheless, keeping up appearances.

"You've made this bed, Caroline, so lie in it now," she tells herself. Then, with a fake smile and a sweet, mellifluous voice she answers, "Hello? Dana. How _lovely_ to hear you."

:-:

"Hello Mother. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Klaus stretches himself in his large swivel chair putting his feet on the top of the boss-like resolute desk. He's fiddling with a pencil—an early sign of irritation building up in him.

"Niklaus. How are you, dear?" A familiar voice, soft but firm, greets him over the phone. Klaus rolls his eyes at his mother's pleasantries.

"Never been better."

There's probably a guarded yet triumphant smile on Esther Mikaelson's face when she asks, "You don't happen to have any interesting news for me, do you?"

"Not really." His eyes narrow in silent anticipation of his mother's next move.

"You know I read the Stars."

"You know I don't believe in those fancy horoscopes of yours, mother."

"I mean the magazine."

Klaus stops playing and his fingers clench around the pencil instead. "Some gossip in particular you want to share?"

"Indeed."

There's a long pause on both sides. Klaus knows exactly that it's just calm before the storm.

"I thought it was some kind of a joke, but then Rebekah let on about your little secret. It all made sense then."

Klaus' knuckles go white with all the anger he tries to suppress by squeezing the piece of wood. Damn you, Rebekah. Damn the joke he played on her. It's going to bite him back in the ass.

"And what is that exactly?" He feels he's losing his cool.

Esther ignores his question and goes on, "So I expect both of you at the anniversary party next week. I've already added _Caroline_ to the guest list."

The pencil cracks in half.

"She's not coming." He blurts out. "Too busy with the peak of divorce season."

"Oh but I'm sure you can convince her to come." In moments like this Klaus remembers how much he hates Esther's dignified, authoritarian tone.

"No."

"Rebekah is _so_ thrilled. We all are."

"I'm not taking Caroline to London."

"I strongly suggest you reconsider." His mother sounds too sly for her own good.

"Don't do anything—"

"See you next week, Niklaus. Mwa." And the line goes dead. Klaus doesn't realize he's still holding the broken pencil in an iron grip.

:-:

Caroline can't focus. She's been on the phone for all day now, and every time April announces what she named a "wedding call", Caroline wants to hit her head with a hammer. Repeatedly.

Silently cursing her life, she picks up the phone and drawls in a bored tone, "Hello?"

"Hello Caroline, _darling_." A low female voice greets her in a British accent. "It's Esther Mikaelson."

Caroline stiffens in her seat. What's going on? Who is this woman? She thought she was the only Mrs. Mikaelson on this planet. What if she calls her to tell her Klaus is a bigamist? What if she tells her Klaus is a psychotic serial killer? Oh God, What if he's a psychotic serial killer AND a bigamist?!

Esther takes Caroline's silence for a sign of shyness and chuckles, "Klaus' mother. But you already know that."

Caroline's eyes grow big. "Oh?" is all she can muster.

Is it too late to throw the phone out the window and run away to Honolulu?

:-:

Klaus bursts into Caroline's office huffing and panting like he's been running a marathon. He finds his wife staring at her laptop, lost in thought.

"Caroline, we need to talk." He says, his tone ominous.

"Yeah, I think so." She muses, pouting at something on her screen. Klaus shuts the door after him and comes closer to her desk.

"It's about my mother."

"I know. She called me." Caroline glares up at him. From her angry look Klaus concludes she must have bravely parried his mother's attack. Of course she's pissed off at him for getting her involved in this whole family drama, but she wouldn't tell Esther the truth. She's too worried about her career to drop such a bomb.

"Well, I'm sorry you had to put up with her." Klaus hangs his head as he shifts his weight from foot to foot like a scolded boy.

"She's very nice." Caroline says and stands up, walking slowly towards him, swaying her hips.

"But still, it must have been extremely awkward for you." He gives her an apologetic look. Making fun of her and their marriage was one thing, but when his family is involved, things could get a little messy. He's terrified by the very thought of her meeting his loony family. There's a reason he moved to the other hemisphere. But sometimes it seems like even the ocean separating them isn't enough.

"A little, yes. I'm facing a real toughie right now." Caroline tilts her head to a side and bites her lower lip, still staring at Klaus. "I'll need your help."

"What do you mean?" He frowns at her, confused.

"What does she like? Is a bottle of good wine enough, or should I come with something more suitable? Hmmm?" She puts a finger on her chin and squints her eyes, pretending to be in an awful dilemma. "It's _unacceptable_ to come empty-handed to the anniversary party of your in-laws, right?"

Klaus gapes at her, puzzled by her strange behavior, but then it hits him like his brother's baseball bat.

"It's not funny, Caroline." He says through the gritted teeth, glaring daggers at her.

"I know it isn't!" She gives him a _duh_-look. "I need to get a new dress. Do you even know how time-consuming a dress-hunt is?"

"You're not coming."

"Of course I am." She feigns a hurt look. Then, when she's satisfied with his stunned face, she grins viciously at him and hisses, "You wanted a war, you've got yourself a war."

Klaus narrows his eyes at he, his nostrils flared, his fists clenched, his whole body incredibly tense. "You. Are. Not. Coming."

It feels so good to finally give him a taste of his own medicine. Tit for tat. For everything he's done to her, for her humiliation, for every single joke he's made of her. She's going on a warpath and she's going to enjoy every minute of it.

"Watch me."

He's breathing raggedly, shaking with fury. "You can't! Do you understand me? You can't!"

With her arms akimbo, Caroline sticks her chin out provocatively, a sinister look in her eyes. "Oh yes I _can_. And mark my words: until we get divorced, I will bring you nothing but _misery_."

**:-:**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**A/N**: Oooh. Meeting the parents, aren't we? Why does Klaus thinks his family is crazy? Why is he so afraid to take Caroline to London? And most importantly: what should Caroline bring as a gift? What dress should she wear?

Ah the drama! ;)


	8. Si vis pacem para bellum

******A/N: **So, guys, I've been so busy and distracted lately that I'm really not sure if I've brought my A game this time. I'd be grateful for feedback.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Si vis pacem para bellum**

if you want peace, prepare for war

:-:

Caroline has seen tons of romantic comedies where a couple comes to meet the in-laws. She's lived a comedy of sorts herself—dealing with Carol Lockwood was a great practice. Now the Mikaelsons should be a cinch.

Of course she comes prepared. Caroline Forbes is both a lover and a fighter.

As a lover, she comes bearing gifts. Thanks to Mindy, Klaus' secretary who enjoys conspiracy in the name of love, Caroline found a reliable source on Klaus' family. Marcel, an antique dealer with a wicked grin and deep alluring voice, turned out to be a mine of information. Not that he knew she was spying on Klaus, of course not. Marcel was more than eager to help—in secret, because it's a surprise—the newly wed wife of his friend prepare for a life-changing meeting with her in-laws. He praised Klaus to the skies, calling him his saviour and mentor. Mentor! Ye Gods! She doesn't even want to know what things Klaus must have done to be a mentor of someone who stinks prison a mile off.

As a fighter, Caroline knows the art of war. No, but seriously, the real Art of War. Western philosophy isn't just about yoga and meditation, you know.

_Rule: If your opponent is of choleric temperament, seek to irritate him. _

"Why so grumpy?" Caroline grins at Klaus as they sit in their seats waiting for the plane to take off. "Last time we were on a plane you were sparkling with wit and humor."

"Well, isn't misery amusing?" He mutters.

"You have no idea. I'm a wooden stake to your vampire."

"You're but a splinter."

Caroline squints her eyes at him. "Maybe so. But a splinter that's moving straight towards your dead black heart."

Klaus clenches his jaw and crosses his arms, sulking. For the last few days he's tried everything to convince her not to go. He's been pestering her with friendly reminders that she's not going. Caroline has never been more entertained. For the first time it's him who's out of control like a runaway train, and Caroline will enjoy etery minute of it.

When she looks through the window, she takes a sharp breath. Chicago looks amazing, like a kingdom made of concrete and glass. The truth is, she's never been abroad. After graduating from law school she had to pay back the loan her mother got from the bank for Caroline's studies. And Tyler was always too busy to take her to Europe. The only time they went somewhere was a visit they paid his aunt who lived in Florida. She would never admit to Klaus that even Las Vegas was quite a trip for her. And now she's going overseas to see London. London! The fact that it's going to wreck Klaus' nerves is just one of many reasons she's so excited to go. Of course Klaus will never know that even after all these years she spent in Chicago she still feels like a small town girl that's never really been anywhere.

"So, grumpy—" Caroline turns to the left to annoy him a bit more, but she's disappointed to see he's already asleep. The fact is, as soon as she caught him at the airport she noticed he didn't look well. Even though he was fresh and clean and looking a bit younger in casual clothes, the dark circles under his eyes pointed at a few sleepless nights.

Is he that troubled by their trip to London? Caroline clicks her tongue. "Good."

:-:

Klaus and Caroline are going to (tug-of-)war wearing wedding rings —the world's smallest handcuffs. It's no coincidence that there's _lock_ in _wedlock_.

Silent resistance is Klaus' weapon of choice. He's sparing with words during the flight and when they get to London. All Caroline gets is his cold glare. Not that she cares.

Klaus keeps sulking, Caroline smiles to strangers. He is about to beat a man trudging in front of him with his suitcase, she stops every five minutea to check out the duty-free shops. He's dragging their luggage up to the car, she's humming along.

"Love and marriage, love and marriage," she sings mocking him, "go together like a horse and carriage—" Klaus stops abruptly and turns to Caroline, making her spring back.

"If you don't stop, I'll kill you." He mutters through the gritted teeth.

As you can imagine, to anyone at the airport Caroline and Klaus seem nothing but married.

A young chauffeur, Dean, waits for them outside Heathrow. To Caroline's disappointment the Mikaelsons live in London's wealthy suburbs, so she doesn't get the chance to see much of the city. It provokes a pout on her face, but only for a moment. There's at least a hundred—less or more cruel—ways to make Klaus let her see London. The ride is quiet except for a few words exchanged out of common courtesy between Klaus and Dean. Caroline learns that Dean's mother is feeling better after an operation. Klaus asks also about Dean's father and two sisters, who are all well by the way, and about the preparations for the party.

"Mrs. Mikaelson is in her element, as always." A driving mirror reflects Dean's frank smile. "And your sister, well, she's beside herself with joy."

Klaus doesn't have the slightest idea who's in danger—she or his family. Both sides have quite a temper. If they hate her, she'll make his life living hell. She'll harp about bad genes and pure evil running in the family. But if they grow to love her… They'll get their hearts broken.

"Oh. My. God." Caroline's voice wakes him up from his reverie. "Is this your house?" Her eyes grow wide at the sight of red brick, white windows, and a green tennis court. The mansion looks breathtaking—majestic and luxurious, yet kept in the typical English style she remembers from the movies.

"Are you in line for the British Throne, or what?" She wonders.

Klaus rolls his eyes for the hundredth time today. "I renounced the throne and married an American to be sure they wouldn't want me back." He chuckles.

Dean tries to hold back a smile.

"No worries, your off-putting personality does the trick perfectly."

_Rule: Know your enemy and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles._

Dean presses his lips even tighter. So married, he thinks.

The car stops in the courtyard and Klaus opens the car door for Caroline. After almost ten hours they are finally, for lack of better word, home.

He lets Dean take their suitcases and looks at Caroline. She's so impressed by the mansion that she just gapes at it, unable to move. She gets back to reality when she feels Klaus' grip on her arm as he nods at her to go inside. The tension is written all over his face. There's a momentary pang of guilt in Caroline's chest. Still, she tells herself not to care. He's the one to blame.

Tables are turned, she exults over Klaus' misery.

Time to come home to roost, hubby.

:-:

Caroline isn't prepared for the wecloming party that's waiting for her on the other side of the large oak door.

_Rule: Carefully compare the opposing army with your own, so that you may know where strength is superabundant and where it is deficient._

If she had to describe the Mikaelson family at first sight, it would look like a zoo… Or a circus.

An upbeat blonde around Caroline's age, Rebekah, reminds Caroline of a poodle. She runs to Klaus, then flings her arms around her neck and locks him in a tight hug. You could see her tail wagging. Caroline stares at them, a bit startled, and is surprised by a genuine smile that appears on Klaus' face. He closes his eyes for a second and hugs the girl back. Genuine joy. Genuine care. She's never seen any of those in her family. She's never seen it in Klaus either. Before Caroline can even say hello, the girl's arms are wrapped around her and she's squeaking gleefully, "Welcome to the family!" Caroline's speechless. What do you say to someone so mistakenly enthusiastic about you? When she releases Caroline from her boa constrictor embrace, Caroline graces the rest of the family with a sweet, dazzling smile.

Then there's the mother. A matriarch rather than a 'mum'. Everything about her screams a kangooroo. Placid towards strangers and docile, but with a strong guardian instinct. She smiles and extends her arms towards Caroline. "Welcome _home_, Caroline." She says, her voice calm and soothing. "Call me Esther."

Klaus' eye twitches.

_Rule: In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact._

Then there's the older brother, nothing but an elephant. Calm and composed, but he'll make you eat your own poop if you make him angry. His handshake is firm—not a bone crusher, but not a cold fish either.

"You must be Elijah." Caroline deduces.

And last but not least, there's a laughing hyena. "You," her gaze travels to the younger one that looks like his sanity left the privacy of his mind some time ago, "must be Kol." His eyes light up with some spark Caroline doesn't even want to interpret, and he places a long wet kiss on the back of her hand.

"At your service ma'am." He leers up at her. Caroline withdraws her hand hiding her disgust. There's something dangerous about him. It's the same spark in the eye that she sees sometimes in Klaus. But while Klaus is rather cut and polished, Kol's still full of that unadulterated wild perversity .

Looking for any kind of rescue, she looks around. "Where's the third brother, Finn?"

Klaus just clenches his teeth as his eyes bore into Caroline while Elijah hastens to explain, "He won't be attending the ball. Finn's wife, Sage, is in hospital. They're expecting a child."

There's a tug at Caroline's sleeve. "Come on, dinner's waiting!" Rebekah takes Caroline by the hand and drags her towards the dining room. Esther comes up to Klaus and pulls him into an embrace. Reluctantly, he hugs her back. "Niklaus. I'm so glad you're back home."

"Don't set your hopes too high." He mutters. "I might get back to Chicago before the ball starts."

"Well, I wish you would reconsider." Esther gives him a kind yet mysterious smile. "It's going to be a magical evening." And she follows Rebekah and Caroline into the dining room.

"Your Caroline looks like a tasty little thing." Kol wiggles his eyebrows, nudging Klaus with his elbow. "Just look at those—"

"Say another word and I'll tear out you liver." Klaus growls, and pushes Kol away, rushing after the female part of the family.

"King of tactfullness, aren't you." Elijah shakes his head. "You wouldn't recognize it even if it was floating in your drink. "

"I saw you staring at her boobs." Kol sniggers.

Elijah takes a sharp breath. "I certainly did not—" He protests, but Kol already rubs his hands like an evil maniac.

"Showtime!"

:-:

"So, Caroline," Esther starts when everybody is, let's say, comfortable enough to chit-chat at the table, "tell us somethig about you. Klaus has been keeping you a secret."

"I'm sure he has." Caroline says flatly staring at her plate. Oh merciful God, there's beef! Her stomach rumbles happily at the sight of food.

"Excuse me, but the priviledged knew long before the peasants." Rebekah chirps, unaware of horror that paints on Klaus' face.

"Rebekah, why don't you eat your veggies." He snaps, but it's too late. His babbling sister has already gotten Caroline's attention.

"How did you know?" She feigns enthusiasm. Klaus puts a finger to his neck in a knife-stuck-to-the-throat gesture. Rebekah answers with a giggle.

"I was pestering him on the phone. He tried so hard to brush me off, so I knew it wasn't just a fling." Klaus' sister smiles proudly a Sherlockian smile.

Caroline starts chewing on her lower lip. How come she knew before Vegas happened? Had Klaus had a serious affair before Vegas? Do they take her for someone else? Is there some element of surprise she's not prepared for?

Seeing Caroline's consternation, Elijah comes to the rescue. "Tell us about your family, Caroline."

Not thinking twice, Caroline shoots, "I'm an only child—a spoiled brat according to my granny Berta, may she rest in peace. My mom's a cop. She's been pretty much living her own separate life since my dad, a salesman, eloped to San Francisco with Steven, a car mechanic. Once, at Berta's funral, we tried to pretend to be one big loving family, and Steven ended up with a black eye served by my robocop mom."

Esther chokes on the beef she's eating while Kol claps his hands ethustiatically. "She's soooo American! Father's gonna hit the roof!"

"Our father... well, he's not very fond of Americans." Elijah says diplomatically.

"Which means he hates them with passion." Kol clarifies.

"Fortunately, there's a thin line between love and hate, hate and love." Caroline says innocently, brining the teacup to her lips. She glances at Klaus who's watching her intently.

"I'll drink to that." He says, and for a second their eyes lock in a silent battle. The rest of the family could swear the air between Caroline and Klaus sizzles.

Then his tone gets sharp and cold. "Speaking of Mikael, where is he?"

"Your father," Esther points out kindly, "is on his way from Japan as we speak. He'll be home tomorrow before the ball starts."

"Just in time to ruin everything."

"Niklaus." His mother warns him. It's that kind of warning mothers give their sons out of love and care, not out of anger. Caroline knows this exactly because she's _never_ been warned this way. Never this way. Esther seems a perfect compromise between the two extremes. Not obsessed like Carol Lockwood, but also not absent like Caroline's mother.

"Speaking of ruining everything," Kol chimes in, "guess who else is coming to the party."

"I'm dying to know." Klaus mocks him with a tone of someone who's bored enough to eat his own finger.

"Tatia."

A clank of fork falling on the wooden floor resounds in the otherwise silent room.

"Or rather Mrs. Price. She married Richard Price some time ago." Kol's smiles smugly blissfully ignorant of Klaus' reaction. "Yes, brother, _the_ Richard Price. Twice her age, bloody rich."

"And, mind you, an old friend of our family." Esther emphasized. "That's why you will treat his wife with respect within these walls."

Caroline quietly observes the conflict making notes on the family dynamics. Esther, the fixer, tries to appease her children. Rebekah, obviously the cheerleader of Team Mikaelson who wants no broken heart around, keeps a disgusted pout on. Elijah, the planner, seems to think over the possible solutions to the Tatia problem, whoever she is. Kol, the splenetic monkey, is just being naughty. And Klaus—

Klaus gets up and slowly walks out of the room, leaving his food intact.

:-:

"I always wanted a sister!" Rebekah squeaks after managing to trap Caroline in her room for a 'girl night'. Living with four brothers must have left the youngest Mikaelson with a deficit of girl power and solidarity.

"It's great to have brothers, you know, but they see only one side of everything." She plops herself on the bed while Caroline sprawls in a huge comfy armchair. "I'm so happy you two got together."

Every time Rebekah gets as keen as mustard, a prick of conscience in the form of tiny invisible Thor hits caroline on the head with his hammer.

"Tell me." Rebekah turns to Caroline with a secret-agent-on-the-roll face. "Does he treat you right?"

Caroline gulps. "Um. Well. It's not that simple." She starts fiddling with her fingers. "We're, kind of, um, rather a hot-and-cold type. I guess."

"I wouldn't expect anything else. It's my brother who we talk about, right?" She laughs. "Sometimes you have to take him down a peg or two."

"Right." Caroline smiles awkwardly. Not that cutting Klaus down to size isn't satisfying. It's even better than seeing your rival in a beauty pageant trip and fall flat on her face. But Caroline realizes that tormenting Klaus means deluding his family. A family that proved to mean no harm to her.

Silence falls between the blondes. Both of them struggle with their own thoughts. The jolly atmosphere disappears.

"I see how tense he is around you. I'm sure it's because he doesn't want you to feel intimidated by our family. He's like that, my crazy big brother. Overprotective and possessive." Rebekah sighs, her voice quavers. "I was hoping he'd meet a woman, _the woman_, that would change his life."

Thor strikes again.

"He's been through a lot of shit, and put us through a lot himself too."

The hammer makes a painful contact with Caroline's head once more.

"Forgive me for being a nuisance. I just hope that he's happy. Even though he was a troublemaker, he was always there for his little sister. And I loved him through everything."

Bang! You're dead.

Caroline's lower lip is swollen from biting. She can see herself spiralling down a vortex of her own lies right into a bottomless pit.

Klaus' sister blindly believes the bad-boy-turns-good-and-is-happily-married story. How can you just tell her that it's all but a game? That what Rebekah has is a mere pipe dream. A castle in the sand that Caroline is kicking right in Rebekah's face.

"He's changed so much. The old Nik would throw his plate across the room and probably try to murder Kol with a fork after hearing about Tatia."

Tatia, Caroline muses. Looks like she's not exactly in Mikaelsons' good books.

"Who's Tatia?"

Rebekah opens her mouth to say something, but immediately stops and eyes Caroline cautiously. "Nik didn't tell you."

"He failed to mention her, somehow."

Now it's Rebekah who's in a fix. "If he kept it to himself, then I'm not sure if I should be the one to tell you."

"If she's the big bad everyone makes her out to be, I should know the enemy before she attacks tomorrow, don't you think?"

_Rule: Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move_.

:-:

Klaus doesn't want to 'socialize' or 'catch up' with his brothers, but Rebekah abducted Caroline into her world of girly fluff, and their father's drinks cabinet is extremely well stocked. The living room is their private Wonderland where everything is labeled DRINK ME.

"So you aren't angry that Tatia's coming?" Elijah sits on the couch, holding his drink in one hand and loosening his tie with the other.

"What part of _I don't care about Tatia_ don't you understand?" Klaus rolls his eyes and takes a sip of whiskey.

"I'm just surprised, that's all."

"I stopped licking my wounds long time ago. You just prefer to think I still have a weakness."

To say Tatia was a weakness would be a misunderstanding of the decade. She was Kryptonite to his Superman. He was just seventeen, conflicted and wearing his heart on his sleeve. She was a two years older explosive mix of manipulative and bored. She had him trained like a dog, and wrapped him around her finger. Tricks, empty promises, sex, and lies.

:-:

"One day he went to her, went down on one knee, and proposed to her. Barely an adult then! Can you believe it?" Rebekah cringes. Caroline's jaw drops. She just can't imagine a young, lovesick Klaus. He's always so confident, so strong. A thought of him being brainwashed by some manipulative bitch seems so odd. Mind-boggling.

"The problem was, he found Elijah in her room."

"What?!"

"Yeah. She was playing them both."

:-:

"Having weaknesses is only human." Elijah lectures his brother. They run out of whiskey. Kol's already half-asleep in his armchair. He's Got strong character, maybe, but not the head.

"I don't have weaknesses."

"Really?" Elijah laughs. "You get married in secret doing everything to keep our family away from Caroline. Then, when you're up against the wall, you bring her home and get all strung up and prickly when we want to get to know her better."

Klaus gulps down the last few drops of whiskey and crosses his arms, sulking. "Why is everyone so obsessed with my getting married?"

"The question is, why are _you_ so unimpressed with your getting married?" Elijah counters.

:-:

And so young Klaus got into trouble. Rebekah tells Caroline terrible histories about alcohol, street fights, and thefts. Kol, a few years younger, followed him like a dog, idolizing his badboy brother who was leading Kol astray. But unlike Kol, Klaus never got caught. Seeing the destructive influence he had on Kol, Mikael decided to send Klaus away to Chicago. Miserable and resentful at first, lost in a maze of dark alleys, Klaus eventually found out that it's not a fist that has power. If you really want to hold power over people, you become a lawyer.

"And he swore to never propose again. To anyone." Rebekah finishes the story. "I'm glad he didn't keep his word."

There's an awkward frown on Caroline's forehead. "Actually, he didn't propose to me. It was just... the spur of the moment." And knowing his history now, Caroline has reasons to believe Klaus didn't want that wedding either. He might have treated it like a good joke, but who knows if it wasn't just a defence mechanism of his wounded ego?

Hell if Caroline knows what's inside Klaus' head.

:-:

The whole act Caroline wanted to pull is getting out of control. Klaus' story casts a little more light on his persona now, and the Mikaelsons are too nice for their own good. For them, she is family. A Mikaelson. They didn't know her at all, yet they accepted her and gave her the credit of doubt. Not to even mention Rebekah who desperately wants to believe Caroline made Klaus a better man. She just wishes she could turn her emotions off sometimes.

"Caroline! I was looking for you." Esther catches Caroline when she's sneaking out of Rebekah's room. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Yeah. Sure." Caroline gives her mother-in-law an uneasy smile.

"Could you give me the exact date, time, and place of your birth? You see, every time a child is born in this family or someone joins us, I make a personal horoscope for them." Esther explains, looking slightly thrilled. "I made horoscopes for all my children, and now I would like to make one for you."

Caroline frowns, wondering whether Esther's train of thoughts derailed some time ago. "So you are a witch or something?"

Klaus' mother tilts her head back and laughs. "My Irish ancestors were. I'm just an astrologist."

"What can you tell from that kind of horoscope?"

"Almost everything. What planets will determine your actions in given periods of time. What decisions were and will be fortunate for you, and what moves you should avoid. Important people in your life. Even your children that are to come."

"That's why you're always so composed? Because you know what's going to happen?" Caroline finds Esther's camlness and self-control highly disconcerting. She remembers Rebekah's words about Esther. Their mother remained unfazed, unruffled, even in the moments of Klaus' top badassery.

"Can you let me in on some Klaus' astrological secrets then?" Caroline quips.

"Maybe the one that you're _the _match for him." Esther pats Caroline's on the shoulder. Then she walks away with a Delphic smile on her face, leaving Caroline astonished in front of her (and Klaus') room.

:-:

To enter or not to enter the lion's den?

_Rule: If the enemy leaves a door open, you must rush in._

The bedroom is spacious and insanely beautiful. Caroline loves its warm colors and floral sheets on the bed. She expected she would feel like in a hotel, but the house is surprisingly cozy and...homely.

"Klaus?" Caroline calls looking around. "KLAUS!" The room is silent, so either he's hiding in a wardrobe to attack and kill her in her sleep or he's still catching up with his brothers. "Klau—HOLYSHITWHATAREYOUDOING?!" She yells when her half-naked husband pops out of nowhere just right behind her back. He's wearing a towel wrapped around his waist, but his torso is still dripping with water and his hair is (deliciously) wet. "Hello? Did you not hear me?! Go cover your naked ass for goodness sake!" She snaps, but doesn't stop eyeing him up and down.

"Of course I heard you, Caroline." He says irritated. "I think the whole house heard you. I just was in no mood for company under the shower." He gives her a tight-lipped smile.

"Ha-ha." The blonde deadpans. Then her voice gets stuck in her throat as Klaus takes the towel off, dries himself, and hands it back to Caroline, a naughty smirk playing on his lips. Caroline looks like a shocked pug right now, her fingers clutching at the towel while she's holding back an urge to scream. Don't look, Caroline. Don't. Look. Just don't—! Oh God.

After a few deep breaths Caroline finally comes to her senses. "What are you doing?!" She shouts at Klaus' bare butt while he clambers into the bed. He gives her a 'duh' look and pulls the covers up his waist.

"It's late and I'm jetlagged."

"Seriously?!" Caroline shakes with anger and her blonde curls shake with her. "You're not sleeping naked in the same bed with me!"

"I always sleep naked. Besides, this is what husbands do, isnt it?" He asks with one eyebrow raised mockingly at her, but his face is tense. It's not a joke, Caroline thinks, it's retaliation.

"Fine!" She stamps her foot. Then she snatches a pillow from the bed, turns on her heel and rushes to the bathroom.

"And what are you doing?"

"I'm gonna sleep in the bathtub." She shrugs not turning back to him, and slamms the bathroom door after her. She can hear Klaus' triumphant laughter.

"What are you afraid of, sweetheart?" Klaus shouts, celebrating the fact that he's made her feel uncomfortable for the first time since they got to London. He won't go down without a fight.

"I don't want to feel your boner poking at my back all night!" Caroline's venomous voice comes from behind the closed door.

There's a snicker outside their room, "I heard that!"

Klaus will make sure nobody leaves drunk Kol wandering around the house again.

:-:

.

.

.

**If I lost my touch it's YOUR job to tell me, okay? FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR ONCE, FANDOM!**

**Coming up in ch. 9**: More family history and interaction. The ball. The aftermath. Gifts and punches. And a new nickname for Klaus that the one and only Burrito of Shame comes up with.


	9. prius quam exaudias ne iudices

**A/N: GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS! Have you seen the TRAILER for Null and Void made by one and only M. Aka all-thedevilsarehere going by The MarauderNo5 on youtube? CHECK IT OUT! I'm freaking out because it's amazing. My dreams came true. **

Kudos to CowboyswithDimples who suggested a gift in a review for chapter 7. :)

Thank your for so many kind words. You inspire me to write more and more, guys. I owe you.

Plus, a lot is going to happen in this chapter, and I hope you won't find it too rushed or anything.

**chapter 9**

**:-:**

**prius quam exaudias ne iudices:**

before you hear, do not judge

**.**

**.**

**.**

She opens her eyes expecting every bone in her body to hurt. She expects to feel the hard bathtub bottom, but she doesn't. She wakes up like a princess, in a king-sized bed with a mattress so soft she's practically drowning in it. In Klaus' bed. Without naked Klaus by her side.

It's 8 am, and from what she hears Caroline can deduce the family is already up. The maids are running around taking orders, and she can hear Rebekah's voice coming from the other end of the hallway.

Klaus' absence makes Caroline wonder. He must have carried her to bed after she'd fell asleep. She really thought he was going to teach her a lesson and leave her in that bathtub. Not to be self-loathing or anything, but Caroline admits—she deserved to be left there. She shamelessly paraded into his house and befriended his family under false pretences. They say revenge is sweet, but she doesn't want it served this way. Not when people you tried to deceive pay you back with kindness. Caroline will deal with Klaus, but she makes a firm resolution to make sure his family doesn't end up as collateral damage.

Lifting the bed covers, she sees that the spot next to her is crumpled, which means he was sleeping right beside her. So where is he now? Caroline hops out of the bed and grabs her suitcase. She needs to pick some clothes to change and her dress for tonight. It's elegant yet hot, and she She unfolds the pink material, and screams. "NO! No no no!" She clutches at her head, tearing her hair out. Her dress is stained with foundation fluid she was carrying. She remembers tossing it into the suitcase minute before leaving her apartment because she forgot to pack it earlier. And now half its content is out there on her dress!

"SERIOUSLY?!"

Well, Karma's a bitch, Caroline.

:-:

One sharp stroke of a brush after another, Klaus is so engrossed in his artwork that he doesn't notice the blonde that sneaks into the cellar behind his back. It's always been his safe haven. No matter how crazy things got between him and the rest of his family, the cellar was his—and his only. The room is in a state painters call an artistic chaos. There's a heap of brushes and old palettes in one of the corners, and the floor is a minefield strewn with huge drops of paint. The sound of Klaus' steady breathing is the only thing that can be heard in the otherwise silent room. He looks like in a trance. Caroline watches him paint, her eyes following the abrupt, angry movements of his hand. The painting is dark and depressing—an angry face or a shadow, she can't tell. But it's hypnotizing.

Suddenly he turns away, and Caroline instinctively takes a step back. There's a tired look in his eyes and vast smear of paint on his shirt.

"How did you find me?" He asks, his voice colder that the stone walls of the cellar. Caroline's jaw clenches, but she doesn't back off.

"Rebekah showed me the way."

"Of course. My silly little sister that craves attention and friendship." He turns to the canvas again and brings the brush to its surface. "Whatever you want, I'm not in the mood, love."

"Look, I get that you're having personal issues, but I have a real crisis on my hands. My dress is stained! Devastated! Ruined!"

Klaus snorts, "I'm sure getting a new dress is well within your substantial manipulative capabilities. Rebekah the sycophantic minion will be glad to share one of her many ball gowns."

"But I don't want someone else's dress!" Caroline throws her fists up in frustration and turns on the spot like a spoiled teenage girl. "I want to look hot! Like red-carpet-hot!"

Even though he is so angry at her, he can't hold back a smile. He really tries to remain serious and gloomy, but seeing her old control freak side take over makes Klaus burst out laughing.

"It's not funny!" Caroline stomps her foot.

"I know, I know." He covers his lips with his hand. "A tragedy indeed."

"I need your credit card."

This makes Klaus stop laughing at once. "No."

"Please. Klaus." She stares at him pleadingly.

"No."

"It's the only chanc—"

"I said NO." His tone is sharp and uncompromising. Caroline frowns at Klaus and clenches her fists. This is the maximum level of her willingness to beg him. If he doesn't care about her appearance at the ball, she won't worry about being an embarrassment to him either. Why did she care in the first place anyway?

"Fine. So be it." Flipping her hair, she stomps out of the room. Klaus watches her go and cringes when the door slams after her.

:-:

"Can you help me with this?" The moment Esther catches Klaus in the hallway he knows there's no escaping her. She just tends to do that – casually strolls around the house and gets to you in the least expected moment.

"I want to hang _this_ painting _here_." She points first at a picture that's propped against the wall and then at the place where she wants it to be. Klaus' eyes dart back to the painting and grow wide when he recognizes it as his own.

"Where did you get this?" He hisses crossing his arm, irritated. It's the picture of their garden Klaus painted from memory just after he arrived in Chicago for the first time. It was a moment of weakness, when he felt lonely and nostalgic. He spent a few days over it, carefully touching it up till it was nothing but perfect. Homesickness was a crippling burden that finally disappeared from his shoulders. He remembers he felt extreme joy, he felt at home. He spent many evenings staring at the painting with a glass of whiskey in his hand.

And when he learned the truth about himself, he gave it away to Marcel. The garden no longer felt like home.

"It's an anniversary gift from Caroline. She's a real treasure." Esther announces proudly. "And, I think it's time for this painting to return home where it belongs. And so do you." Klaus flinches at her words. He will never belong here. Plus, Caroline's definitely pushing her luck. How dare that blonde she-devil buy one of HIS paintings! How dare she buy a part of HIS intimacy and give it away to THEM!

His mother takes Klaus by the hand and squeezes it reassuringly. "She will fall in love with you eventually." Klaus' eyes are fixed on his mother's calm face. He's so stunned by her words that it takes a while before everything sinks in. And when Klaus realizes what his mother is referring to, he's one step from getting a heart attack.

"How do you—"

"Don't worry, Niklaus." An enigmatic smile lingers on Esther's lips. "Fate works in mysterious ways."

:-:

"Caroline!" Rebekah knocks frantically at Caroline's door and bursts inside. Why should she wait to be let in when it's her house, right? Caroline's lying on her bed, playing Veggie Ninja on her iPhone. (As soon as she beats her record she'll switch to Fruit Ninja, because life is a never-ending challenge.)

"What are you doing?" Rebekah shakes her head. "Come on, we don't have much time!"

"Time for what?" Caroline muses while fervently cutting an onion with a samurai sword.

"For shopping?" Her sister-in-law raises her hand holding a credit card between two fingers. Caroline's jaw drops. So Klaus does have a heart.

"Hurry up!" Rebekah laughs at her. "The dress won't find itself, sister!"

:-:

"WHAT?!" Caroline gapes at Rebekah. "You mean, Stefan Salvatore?! Seriously?!" She's really grateful that it's Dean who's driving, because she's so excited she shakes poor Bekah like the girl was made of jell-o.

"You know the guy?"

"Of course I know him! He saved my life at Kat and Damon's wedding. I would be bored to death without Stefan Salvatore." Caroline rolls her eyes at the memory of Matt passing out in the gents. "He's a great guy!"

"Then looks like I'm not good enough for him, because he never called back." Rebekah sighs. Her short romance with Stefan in Chicago didn't end well. In fact, it didn't have an ending at all. She went to visit her brother, and he took her to a party at the Salvatores'. Katherine and Damon were already married, Stefan was brooding (with a cool hairdo), and Rebekah was intrigued. He didn't notice she was desperately looking for love while carrying on with her typical feisty attitude. He just liked the crazy, fun Rebekah. They were doing what felt good. Drinking, dancing, sex. And talking—they talked all night. She, an aspiring journalist-slash-fashionista fell for his gentlemanly charm and that special something only writers possess. That craving for experience. That pressing need to feel. Then she woke up in an empty bed. Later Klaus told her about his awkward encounter with Stefan when the younger Salvatore was snaking out of her room. He said he was leaving, and she hasn't heard from him since then.

"I know where he is!" A lightbulb lights up above Caroline's head. "I remember Kat or Damon saying he went to—oh my God!—He went to Mystic Falls!"

"What's Mystic Falls?"

"A small town in Virginia. He's writing a book there, in a secluded cabin over a lake, and taking care of Drogo."

"Who's Drogo?" Rebekah sounds jealous.

"It's Kat and Damon's dog. A pug."

"Damon. Eww." The grimace on Rebekah's face tells Caroline that Klaus's friend didn't exactly catch Rebekah's fancy. "He used to hit on me every time I went to visit Klaus. Before he married Katherine, of course."

"Now he's a perfect husband, can you believe it?" Caroline cocks an eyebrow at Rebekah.

"I'm sure my big brother is better." Bekah winks at Caroline, who swallows hard. "He is, right?"

There's a small puff of smoke, and tiny Loki appears right over Caroline's left shoulder, and chuckles. "Feeling guilty, are we?" Caroline purses her lips. "Liar, liar, lacy pants on fire." He teases.

"I'm just trying not to break Rebekah's heart. Klaus' family shouldn't get involved in this." The lawyer explains.

"You should've thought before you set foot in their house. Now you just have to play along for a while, I guess." Loki grins mischievously at her and pats her on the back.

"Where's Thor? He's supposed to be here and nag me to tell the truth."

"He got stuck." Loki nonchalantly smoothes down his hair. "In a bathroom."

Caroline sighs and gets back to reality. Rebekah is still staring at her, waiting for the answer.

"Yes," Caroline says with an uneasy smile, "he's pretty great."

:-:

Klaus the awesome husband is furiously banging his fist against the bathroom door. "Caroline! If you don't come out right now I'll switch rooms with Kol!"

"Just give me five minutes!"

"You said that twenty minutes ago!" God, this woman will drive him crazy. He'll end up at a psychiatric ward rocking slowly in a straitjacket. And all the nurses will look like Dolly Parton. He hears the sound of hairspray being sprayed all over her head, which is a signal that she's done dolling herself up.

Three...

Two...

One...

Caroline shows up in the bathroom door and Klaus turns into a pillar of salt, his mouth hanging open. He's staring at her mesmerized and dumbstruck, feeling his heart quicken. She's looking stunning in a glamorous nude dress ornamented with a web of pearls. It accentuates her curves, and a low bun shows her long, delicate neck. Klaus just gapes at her, spellbound, his throat getting dry. She looks gorgeous. A vision. A star.

Caroline stands there with a shy half-smile on her face, unsure whether he went quiet because she doesn't look good enough or because she dressed to kill and her husband got shot.

"And...? How do I look?" Her question is met with a wall of stunned silence on Klaus' part. "Klaus?"

"You look..." His tongue runs absently over his lower lips. "Breathtaking." It's true—he feels like his lungs just can't take more air and he's choking. "Really." Her smile widens. He looks great in a tux, but let's face it—that handsome bastard would look good even in a potato sack.

Caroline heads to the door when Klaus grabs her by the elbow and she spins around surprised.

"Wait." He says and starts rummaging in his pocket. To Caroline's astonishment he finds a small oblong box. Klaus gently takes her right wrist and clasps something around it. Caroline can't believe her eyes. It's an infinity bracelet encrusted with diamonds.

"If you want to pass for Mrs. Mikaelson, you ought to wear it." He explains, sounding both dead serious and a bit embarrassed. "Every one of us gets something that belongs to the family and should be passed on to our spouses. It's an old tradition."

She wants to say, but _I'm not a real Mrs. Mikaelson_. She wants to say, _I'm not your wife_. But when she looks down at the bracelet, she can't help but feel special. One day some woman will become truly special to him. But just for tonight, she wants to feel someone's first choice for a change. He will pretend, and she will let him. Just for tonight.

"Thanks."

:-:

Glasses of champagne are being raised as Esther stands proudly next to her husband on the main staircase in the hall. Peeking through the crowd, Caroline has a chance to finally take a look at the infamous Mikael Mikaelson. She can easily see who Elijah got his dignified bearing from. Rebekah's got his penetrating stare. And Kol... Kol got that quiet arrogance and confidence he exudes. Casting a sidelong glance at Klaus' tight jaw she wonders what traits _he_ got from his father.

"Welcome." Esther graces the guests with the kindest smile they have ever seen. Caroline's impressed by the number of people that came tonight in their fancy clothes. (Oh my God, is it Colin Firth right there in the corner?) And she thought she's seen many designer dresses at Carol Lockwood's parties! Esther Mikaelson brought fancy to a whole new level.

"Thank you for joining us tonight. It was a tradition that every year when my family and you, me dear friends, gather here, my husband and I used to inaugurate the ball with the first dance. This year, however, we would like to confer this honour on our son, Klaus, who surprised us—and made us incredibly happy—by getting married two weeks ago." Klaus raises his eyebrows, not believing his ears. There's an excited roar coming from the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, my son Klaus and his amazing wife, Caroline!"

"What?" Caroline casts a frightened look at Klaus. People circle the couple, rapturously applauding them while the song drifts lazily through the room. He keeps a poker face on and leads her to the dancefloor. When his hand sneaks around her waist as he pulls her closer, Caroline takes a sharp breath.

_I can do what I want, I'm in complete control_

_That's what I tell myself_

_I got a mind of my own, I'll be alright alone_

_Don't need anybody else_

It's like Vegas all over again, or even worse considering she's sober. Being around this irritating, arrogant, nasty piece of work is like a turf war. But being pressed tightly against his handsome, smooth, alluring self—well, that's quite a different kettle of fish.

_I give myself a good talking to_

_No more being a fool for you_

_I remember how you made wanna surrender_

Klaus makes a full turn with her and their eyes meet for a fleeting moment. His gaze is steady, unreadable, and Caroline's confidence suddenly melts like sugar in water—theoretically it's still there, yet unrecognizable.

_Damn your eyes_

_They're taking my breath away_

_Making me wanna stay_

_Damn your eyes_

_For getting my hopes up high_

_Making me fall in love again_

_Damn your eyes_

Klaus likes holding her. He likes the feeling of her hand in his hand. He likes the way she sways along with him, her shoulders and hips following the slow rhythm. Other women, they were always but a distraction. Touching them felt like touching moon-white, cold statues. Touching her feels like home. He's surprised it hasn't scared him yet, the way he treats her like a real part of his life. It should scare _the hell out of him_, but he gets caught in the moment. Klaus Mikaelson is caught in the moment... for the first time in his life. The guests are watching them closely with sighs, awws, and oohs. Klaus feels the stares burning into his back, but somehow it doesn't bother him.

And then there's a loud hiccup coming from the crowd, and Kol's drunk voice resounds in the room.

"YOU— MAY— KISS THE BRIIIIIIDE!" He cheers on the newlyweds, enthusiastically raising his glass and spilling half of his champagne on some woman's head. People start clinging their glasses, encouraging the dancing couple to kiss. You would assume the Brits are too stuffy and reserved to do that. However, looks like the royal wedding whetted their appetite for romance.

Panicking Caroline lifts her chin, "God, this is awk—" but it's too late as her voice gets muffled by a tender kiss Klaus places on her lips. It's a gentle one, almost shy, but in no way is it lacking dexterity. If they hadn't kissed before Caroline would have thought it's their first romantic kiss. Klaus' eyes are closed, and so Caroline closes hers... and kisses him back.

_Fall completely under your spell_

_Damn your eyes_

_Taking my breath away_

_Making me wanna stay_

_Damn your eyes_

They break the kiss and come back to reality only to find that the crowd is still cheering, his family is clapping, and Kol is grabbing some girl's butt.

"Enjoy the party and don't forget about donating to charity!" Esther announces.

Kol gets slapped across the face.

The kiss lingers on Caroline's lips as she brushes them absently with her index finger.

Music plays on.

:-:

Just after the first dance Esther grabs her son to dance with her, leaving Caroline at Mikael's mercy.

"Forgive me, we haven't been properly introduced." He says with a wry smile. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Caroline." She nods and smiles back trying not to look perturbed by his shark-like stare. Why are all the Mikaelson men so intimidating?

"So, what is it?" Mikael muses as they waltz. "Money? It must be money. Too bad he's not mentioned in the will."

"Excuse me?" Caroline frowns at Mikael's insinuation.

"Klaus won't inherit anything. You chose the wrong Mikaelson, darling."

Caroline's blood starts to boil in her veins. She's been fighting with condescending men like him all her life. She made sure no one would make assumptions about her looks, her IQ, and her choices. Her upper lip twitches in disgust.

"Or is it the gypsy gene he's got? His big-bad-wolf facade? Women and their tragic weakness for bad boys, really." He shakes his head letting out a fake, worried sigh.

Caroline licks her lips preparing to parry his argument. "You know what's tragic?" She asks slyly. "That you will never know. You'll see it's not money, you'll see it's not fatal attraction, but you'll _never_ know the _truth_." She's so angry at Klaus' father that she could stay married to Klaus till the man dies just to keep him guessing. (Yes, it's really astounding what people would do just to spite the others.)

Klaus takes a break from dancing to get a drink. His eyes are following Caroline's every move. Looks like she's not enjoying Mikael's company. His father doesn't look pleased either, which means the blonde spitfire isn't taking any shit from him. No matter how hard he tries to hide it, a tiny smile of satisfaction appears on Klaus' face.

"Married life does you good, Klaus Mikaelson." He hears a sultry voice behind his back. Of course the vixen wouldn't miss the party.

"Tatia." He turns to her. She does look beautiful. She was a girl then, now she's a full-blown woman who emanates sex-appeal. "Long time no see."

"Too long if you ask me." She pouts. Red lipstick on her lips matches her dress. That's probably the one thing that would never change. Tatia and red lipstick. Right now her red lips twist in a grin. "You've changed."

"Ten years tend to do that to people." He explains flatly and takes a sip of champagne.

"To the point they get married?"

"You look surprised."

"I am. She's nothing like me."

"Exactly." Klaus smirks triumphantly. "And I'm not stupid like my brother to pine after a liar for ten years." He turns to look at his brother who's watching Klaus (or rather Tatia) from the other side of the ballroom. The family has been trying to make Klaus forget about Tatia when the truth is, it's Elijah who needs help. They misattributed the lovesickness to Klaus, the impulsive one, while it's been Elijah all this time.

"Ah yes, poor Elijah. I might actually grace him with my attention again. Married life gets boring eventually, you'll see it yourself."

"Not when you marry someone like her." Klaus' eyes get fixed on Caroline, and he smiles to himself. She'll give him hell for that kiss during the first dance. This time she probably won't sleep in the bathtub. She'll throw the bathtub at him instead. But whatever she'll do in retaliation—the kiss was _so_ worth it.

Mikael catches Caroline glancing towards Klaus and a brunette in red. "How does it feel to be the second choice?" Caroline narrows her eyes at Mikael. He raises an eyebrow seeing he might have hit a nerve. "How does it feel when the glass slipper doesn't really fit, Cinderella?"

"Oh, I crushed the glass slipper long time ago. And this," Caroline sassily flips her hair, showing the bracelet Klaus gave her, wiping Mikael's cynical smile off his face, "this feels like a winning ticket."

She's dying to know if Klaus still loves Tatia, but she won't give Mikael the satisfaction. She'll keep her chin up till she's alone with Klaus and he tells her the truth. Oh God, Caroline mentally slaps her on the forehead, why does she even bother? Why does she care about his love life? What the hell is wrong with her? Did she catch some weird suddenly-I-care-about-my-fake-husband virus or what? Today it's care, tomorrow it's breakfast together, and who knows what will happen next week! No, she tells herself, nothing will happen.

Klaus leaves sour-faced Tatia and walks up to Mikael and Caroline. "You don't mind if I cut in, do you?" He extends his hand to Caroline.

Mikael's about to throw a venomous retort when Esther appears by his side. "So you've met Caroline!" She beams at her husband. "Isn't she stunning?"

"Indeed." Mikael mutters as Klaus wraps his arm around his wife, casting his father a challenging look. "Striking, I'd say."

:-:

They stand on the balcony leaning against the handrail, champagne glasses in their hands. A breath of fresh air was very much needed. The night is warm, and Caroline enjoys the view over the garden. Klaus' painting does it justice.

"So, how's Tatia?" Curiosity takes the better of Caroline, and not thinking twice she lets it slip.

"What do you know about Tatia?" He asks staring at the bubbles in his glass.

"Everything, I guess."

"So you know nothing, Caroline."

She frowns at him in disbelief. "Seriously? Have you just Jon-Snow-ed me?"

Klaus turns to her, amused. "A Game of Thrones reference coming from you?"

"So what? He's cute." Caroline shrugs, blushing. She wasn't supposed to reveal her secret crush on Jon Snow. Treacherous champagne.

They stare at each other for a second or two before bursting out laughing. Looking at Caroline, Klaus feels a sudden hit of deja-vu. Last time she was genuinely laughing with him was the same night they got married in Vegas. Watching her laugh becomes another thing on his "What I like to do with Caroline Forbes" list. Or rather, with Caroline Mikaelson. His wife.

"What's the deal with your father?" She bites her lower lip. It's not her business, but champagne is fulfilling its perfidious mission in more than just one way.

"He's not my father."

"Shit." Caroline's speaks her mind, obviously. But maybe it's the best moment to tell her about his family's turbulent history.

Esther and Mikael got married at a very young age. Reason? The simplest of them all—a baby. They were both from rich upper class families, so no mésalliance was made. They turned out to be quite well-suited for each other, and so after Finn came Elijah. Mikael, a young businessman that was about to take over his father's company, left his family for a year's contract in Australia. Esther stayed in London, feeling alone and overwhelmed by two small kids and life on her own. And as it always happens in the movies, she met a charming, mysterious, wild Nicabar, a gypsy painter. He was getting popular in London's artistic bohema and had eyes only for her. It was a crazy summer for Esther Mikaelson, but two months before Mikael's return Nicabar died in a car accident leaving Esther with a newborn on her hands.

"Why didn't Mikael leave your mother?"

"Because he loved her." It's the most bitter thing that left Klaus' mouth. "He forgave her. Not without some drama, of course, she told me as much, but he loved her too much to let her go. He couldn't hate her, so he channelled all the negative emotions at me. And as much as I hate him, I have to admit, he's a good father to the rest of us. Rebekah's his favourite. He does love them. And I'm just a walking reminder of his wife's infidelity."

"How Catelyn Stark of him." Caroline muses and brings the glass to her lips ignoring the look Klaus gives her.

"Does your mother know about us?"

"I don't think she remembers she has a daughter." Caroline's eyes darken. "She always made me feel guilty, so I should be happy left alone, really. But no one is better off without their parents." There's a heartbreaking tune in Caroline's voice that makes Klaus want to hold her till she feels happy again. But he doesn't, because she wouldn't want it anyway. He takes the bottle of champagne that stands on the floor and fills her glass instead.

"To family bliss." He raises his glass with a puckish smile on his face. Somehow it manages to make Caroline brighten up and chuckle.

"Cheers."

The glasses clink.

:-:

"There you are!" Kol hiccups as he approaches Klaus and Caroline on the balcony.

"Go to bed Kol, you're drunk." Klaus rolls his eyes, angry that his brother disturbs the rare moment of ceasefire between him and his wife.

"But I need some entertainment!" Kol slurs spreading his arms. Klaus groans and drags a palm of his hand across his face. What a nuisance, his naughty brother.

"You've had enough."

"Actually, I haven't. You know why? BECAUSE YOU LEFT ME AND WENT TO CHICAGO!" Kol's resentful voice echoes around the garden. "You were my big brother, Nik! I trusted you! I was idolizing you, for god's sake!" Kol takes a swig from a bottle of whiskey he's holding. "And they sent me to a rehab! And Bekah was crying over you, blaming ME for your departure. I was the bad brother!" Kol is swaying on his feet. Caroline is shocked to see him hurt. Not pretending, not fooling around, but truly hurt by Klaus' leaving. Hurt, and furious.

"You've never told me this." Klaus shakes his head.

"You've never bothered to even think about that!" Kol takes a few steps forward, getting dangerously close to Caroline. "You found a new home, and got yourself a wife, too." He throws Caroline a threatening glare that sends shivers down her spine. Suddenly the air gets cold, and she wishes she could go inside. But Kol wraps his arm around her shoulders, taking another swig from the bottle. "And what a wife! I've googled her up. So recently engaged to one and only Tyler Lockwood, the mayor's son! What did you do to steal her from that jerk, brother? And wedding in Vegas? It doesn't sound like you _at all_."

Klaus sees how uneasy Caroline's getting around Kol. He starts to scare her.

"You know what? Let's make a deal. I won't tell anyone that your marriage sounds like a very shady business, and you'll share Caroline with me." He pulls Caroline even closer, a wolfish grin spread on his face. Klaus knows Kol doesn't think straight and just wants to irritate them, but his fists clench nevertheless. "She doesn't look like she would mind."

A second later everything becomes a blur. Caroline gets shoved to a side, and there's a sound of glass being shattered on the ground. Klaus' fist collides with Kol's nose quite painfully for the latter, but Kol isn't drunk enough to pass out from a blow. He gets up and lunges at Klaus with an angry yell. Caroline watches in horror as he punches his older brother hard in the face, and Klaus hits his head against the handrail. With blood streaming from his cut eyebrow, Klaus grabs Kol and throws him across the balcony.

"Hell yeah brother, feels like old good times again!" Kol's laughing like a maniac. He lands on the floor but is picked up by Klaus the moment after. They exchange some punches and kicks before Klaus pins Kol against the balcony balustrade and the unruly Mikaelson ends up leaning dangerously over it.

"Apologize to the lady." Klaus growls clutching at Kol's neck. Caroline notices a small crowd gathered down in the garden, watching the whole incident. Esther's covering her mouth in shock.

"What are you doing there, you bloody idiots?!" Rebekah yells at her brothers. "Klaus, leave that arsehole alone!"

"Apologize." Klaus hisses at Kol.

"fine! I'm— sorry!" Kol chokes out and takes a deep breath when Klaus lets him go.

"You will not speak to me or Caroline again. Grow up, Kol, and stop being a cunt." With those words Klaus turns away, offers his arm to Caroline, and they both leave.

:-:

"It might sting a bit." Caroline warns Klaus as she pours some peroxide on a cotton pad. Her husband rolls his eyes at her, but when she dabs at the wound he suddenly pulls back, flinching. Caroline almost spills the rest of peroxide. "Whoa! Easy, Kung Fu Panda."

Klaus glares at her. Even in the gravest of situations Caroline can blurt out something so ridiculous. He's about to comment on her Burrito of Shame drunken alter ego when she reaches for his face and strokes it gently. He looks up at her, thunderstruck by the unexpected display of... Affection, could it be?

"I'm sorry." Caroline sighs. "I shouldn't have come here. I had no right to meddle."

Klaus can't take his eyes off her. He just gapes at her, his head tilted back, like he was a small boy staring for the first time at a jet cutting across the sky. Caroline's worried, guilty face is hovering above his. Her hands on his cheeks have the sour smell of disinfectant. He totally does not care.

_She will fall in love with you eventually._

Will she? Because right here right now he doesn't want anything else. Against his better judgement, against his uncompromising persona, against the grain. He wants her like a starved dog wants a bone, and he would chew on his own leg if it meant having a bone.

"It's fine." He musters. "Truth be told, I'm glad you came."

Caroline nervously moistens her lips and sits down on the bed next to Klaus, slouching out of exhaustion. "It's been a roller-coaster, I admit." Then the corners of her mouth curl upward into a shy smile. "But I really like your family. Your mom's herbal tea rocks. And London is great."

He raises his eyebrows at her, a twinkle in his eyes. "Go on. Don't let me stop you."

She sticks her tong out at him. "You're not getting compliments from me tonight, Jackie Chan."

Klaus rolls his eyes. God, she could spend all day inventing nicknames for him.

"Hey, I defended your Burrito honour."

"And so you are allowed to sleep in the bed tonight. That's rewarding enough."

"Rewarding? Are you kidding me? You snore."

Caroline slaps him playfully on the arm. "I don't!"

"Yes, you do!" He laughs when she grabs a pillow and hits him on the back with it.

"I. Do. Not. Snore!"

"Like a little funny pig!"

"Go to hell, Jet Li!" Caroline gives up and falls on the bed, hiding her face in the covers and letting out a yawn. She can barely keep her eyes open, but she doesn't stop smiling.

:-:

Even though adrenaline and alcohol make a soporific mix, neither Caroline nor Klaus can fall asleep.

Neither of them can stop thinking about the kiss they shared. Caroline replays that scene over and over again in her head, hoping (to her own surprise) that he wasn't thinking about Tatia. Klaus tries to recollect every detail of their kiss—the softness of her lips and their eagerness when she kissed him back. Because, mind you, she did kiss him back.

The clock is ticking hours away while they keep tossing and turning from one side to another.

.

.

.

**A**/**N**: Look at the cute review button below! Clickety click! (Your opinion, whether good or bad, is really important to me.)


	10. Pax melior est quam iustissimum bellum

**A/N: **Hello my dearies. I'm sorry I kept you waiting so long.

My mom's in hospital and I'm one step away from graduating from Uni, so I have a lot on my plate right now. Please forgive me that this chapter is shorter than usual. But, in no way is it a filler. Quite the opposite, it's stuffed with all kinds of Klaroline feels. Read, enjoy, and feel free to voice your thoughts.

(Also, all I know about the divorce law in the glorious state of Illinois comes from the Internet. Bear with me.)

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**:-:**

**Pax melior est quam iustissimum bellum**:

Peace is better than the most just war.

.

.

.

Red satin, she always wanted red satin. And candles all around, casting only so much light an eye needs to feel desire awaken. She watches his shoulders move as he creeps into the bed like a wolf on prowl, his eyes fixed on her. It's like nobody on Earth matters right now, nobody but his prey.

"Mmmmmm," Caroline moans as she writhes in sweet agony of his luscious lips pressed hard against her neck. He's sucking at it making her breathing quicken. Her pulse is racing, her whole body fired up, all sweaty and restless. She's melting under his touch. His tongue makes its way over her breasts and down her stomach, reaching the point of indescribable pleasure. She arches her back, her muscles tense, she can feel the drops of sweat rolling down her bare thighs—thighs so eager to wrap around his waist and—

"Yes, please, Klaus—"

Caroline's eyes shoot open. Ashamed, she covers her mouth with a trembling hand like a little girl that swore for the first time. Her stare darts to her left.

"K—Klaus?"

Oh dear.

:-:

It is unknown to the mankind how many cold showers will wash away someone's embarrassment. Caroline's tried three so far. Progress report: it's still there. On a scale from 1 to Kim Kardashian, how crazy an erotic dream about your fake husband is? Thank God Klaus wasn't in the bed with her when she woke up. She would have died of humiliation.

It's disturbing, the way she keeps touching her lips since that dance. That dilly of a kiss. Frustrated, Caroline slaps herself on the forehead. It's all his fault! He didn't have to kiss her! Now that kiss is imprinted on her just like that night in Vegas.

"Seriously, it's just—" She groans as she wraps a bathrobe around her, but then something catches her eye, "—weird." Klaus' phone is right there left on the night table, its screen glowing. _You have one unread message._ Caroline's about to leave it when she sees a name. THE name. Tatia. Her fists clench and unclench while she's waging an inner war with herself. She could see Thor shaking his head disapprovingly at her while Loki's nodding with a wide grin on his face.

"You're not helping, guys." Her palms gets sweaty, curiosity is eating her away. The more she stares at the phone, the more the name stares back. Biting her lower lip, Caroline gives up and picks up the device. Her heart starts beating faster when she realizes she feels like a petty criminal. She has to try three times before she unlocks it, her fingers too shaky to cope with the touchscreen. Finally the messages appear.

Curiosity killed the cat...

_I'm waiting. T._

She scrolls down to the previous one,

_Meet me at our old place. You know you want to. T._

...but the anger brought it back. "After my dead body, you goddamn husband stealer!"

:-:

Tornado Caroline sweeps through the Mikaelson mansion. Rebekah almost falls from the stairs, Kol hides in preventive custody of his room, and Elijah stops polishing his shoes to stare open-mouthed at the destructive, raging storm in their house. Caroline dashes through the hallways seeing all shades of red. "Old place, huh?" She mutters sending angry glares at the portraits of the noble ancestors, "I'm gonna kick you right in your... old place!" Her hair is still wet and she doesn't really know where she's going. She just maneuvers between the statues, plants, and columns, her left hand clutching at the fluffy pink material so her bouncing breasts stay where they should.

The angry blonde rants and raves about a meaningless kiss, and about how easily men fall prey to a pair of nice boobs from the past. There's also a brief mention of cleaning his wounds, and of her (too) good heart—

"Ugh!" She groans when something comes around the corner and collides with her furious form. She bounces off what turns out to be Klaus' chest. She looks up at what turns out to be Klaus' surprised face. He looks down at a bulldozer that happens to be his wife wrapped in a fluffy bathrobe. Drops of water still fall from her hair and down her face. Before he can even open his mouth, Caroline fires at him,

"What are you doing here?!"

"Last time I checked this was my home. The question is, love, what are _you_ doing here?" His raised eyebrows and amused smirk make Caroline lose her composure. Disconcerted, she tucks a strand of wet hair behind her ear and clears her throat.

"I was, um, looking for you. You weren't in the room when I woke up, so..."

Klaus holds back a laugh. "I didn't know you wanted to wake up next to me, Caroline. We can fix that."

Caroline's eyes grow wide. Is he... _flirting_ with her? Seriously?! She starts chewing her lower lip trying to quickly find a clever retort, but her mind is too occupied by all the possible scenarios of them waking up together.

"Is this my phone?" He nods at her hand. Caroline feels a wave of heat rushing to her cheeks. Busted!

"Oh, you mean _this_." She lets out a nervous laugh. "I thought you got, um, an important message, so I took it with me. Where have you been anyway?" She tries hard to sound uninterested. Too hard, if you ask Klaus, but even though he's intrigued, he keeps a poker face on.

"I couldn't sleep. I was painting all night. I felt inspired." Klaus smiles. Indeed, it was a rough night. First he got tremendously aroused by her scantily clad body tossing and turning in the bed. Then he felt inspired. Enlightened. He jumped out of the bed and dashed to his makeshift studio. (Thank God nobody saw him half-naked running around the house with an erection.)

Caroline's eyes are fixed on his face when he reads the messages from Tatia. Tension builds up as she squints at him anxiously. His expression is blank like a piece of paper. Finally he shoves the phone in the pocket of his jeans and tilts his head to a side, smiling at soaking Caroline.

"You were scurrying to and fro because Tatia sent me a highly suggestive message?" There's a playful spark in Klaus' eyes.

"What? No!" Caroline huffs and throws her fists up in a protest. The front of her bathrobe loosens a little giving Klaus a better view of Caroline's... attributes.

"Why should I even care if you have some floozy on the side?" She blurts out more to herself than to him.

"Caroline!" Klaus fakes an indignant tone. He points at the wedding ring on his left hand. "I am a married man! I would never ever cheat on my wife." Deep inside he's cackling triumphantly. Caroline glares at him, and not knowing what to say to his mockery, she just turns on the heel and heads back to the bedroom. Klaus is watching her with amusement, shaking his head. When she disappears in the labirynth of the hallways, Klaus pulls the phone out of the pocket again and re-reads Tatia's messages. That vixen. He needs to talk to Elijah. Now.

:-:

Angrily tossing the bathrobe to the floor, Caroline looks in the mirror. What the hell has gotten into her? How come the control freak aka overachiever extraordinarie turned into the conflicted Mrs. Mikaelson?

Fake wife or not, Caroline has to admit she feels different now. It was an oath said under the influence and it shouldn't matter—she knows it shouldn't!—but somehow it changed her. And she sees Klaus in a different light now. He isn't as heartless as she thought. In fact, his heart is in the right place. It's his head that wants to keep the heart under wraps. Caroline has seen many faces of Klaus Mikaelson, and she liked the last one she's found at his core. Maybe if Vegas hadn't happened, if the events had gone a different way —the right way— if they had met in another universe... If they hadn't started off on the wrong foot. If they hadn't caused all the mayhem around them. If all the ifs had come true...

Too bad she'll never know.

:-:

"So she wants to play us both." Elijah muses staring through the window, his arms crossed. "Some people never change."

Klaus leans against the wall. "How could you still be in love with her? It's been almost a decade, brother. Did you even _try_ to move on?"

Elijah doesn't even turn to Klaus. He stands there in his own world, unable to face his brother, ashamed that he's been so weak. "You moved out, Niklaus. You weren't seeing her every day like I was. I saw her turn into a woman. I saw her date older men. I saw her break them. But she always had that smile for me. No matter what was going on, she always smiled at me."

"Hyenas always smile at their prey."

Silence hangs around the room like an old spider web. They should have had this talk long time ago. But then Klaus' temper would have clashed with Elijah's self-righteousness, and the whole commotion would have ended in broken bones and a few scars. Now Elijah stands impressed by Klaus' stoic approach. It's been years, and the Mikaelson family hasn't changed much. Stuck in their sumptuous mansion, with their broad red of connections, burdened by the family name and by the expectations built up for them. Looks like their parents did Klaus a favour by sending him away.

"How does it feel to be in love again?" Elijah's sad voice breaks the silence. Klaus looks at him taken aback at first, but then he smiles weakly to himself.

"Scary."

Elijah always thought that if he was to ask Klaus that question, this answer would be the honest one. Given the chance at happiness, Elijah remembers, Klaus used to run in the opposite direction. But he's not anymore.

"Good. Maybe there's still hope for this cursed family."

:-:

It breaks Caroline's heart to say goodbye to the Mikaelsons. Esther hands her an envelope. It's a wedding gift, she says, but insists Caroline shouldn't open it until they get home. Rebekah promises to visit them in Chicago, and Kol would threaten to do the same, but he's still reluctant to talk to them. Elijah gives Klaus a brotherly pat on the back. He says if Klaus ever wants to go back to London, Elijah's firm is waiting for a well-qualified lawyer and his brilliant wife.

Caroline feels like the worst double-dealer in the world.

As they wait at the airport, Caroline keeps fiddling with the hem of her skirt, which successfully distracts Klaus from taking a nap he needs so much. Finally, he places his hand on Caroline's shoulder and asks, "What is it?" She jumps in her seat, her worried face turning to him.

"I'm sorry."

He shakes his head. "I told you yesterday, it's fine."

"No, now I mean everything."

"Everything?"

"Yes. Everything." Caroline bites her lip. "I blamed you for Vegas because I was so angry at myself I couldn't handle it. I know it was as much my fault as it was yours. I was too proud to admit that."

She expects him to be angry at her or to give her a good talking-to. But Klaus Mikaelson simply smirks at her, laughing under his breath. "Did you really think I hadn't noticed that?"

Caroline feels totally disarmed now. "Wh—Why didn't you confront with me about it? Why didn't you rub that in my face?"

"Because I like you." He admits, confusing Carline even more. "When I woke up in Vegas and saw the wedding ring I thought it could be fun to ruffle your perfect feathers." He sees the sharp stare Caroline's giving him, so he explains, "I know you disagree with me on that, but I still think we're the same. Stubborn. Fearless. I wanted to see how far this would go. The question is, why didn't _you_ go straight to the court to get an annulment?"

She hesitates. What she's going to say doesn't reflect well on her. But if there's anything she owes him, it's the truth. "What would such an incident say about me as a lawyer? Plus, I gained a lot even though I didn't want to. When the rumour about us getting hitched spread, I got a ton of new clients. It was like we were a Brangelina of the attorney circle." Okay, now she's blushing.

Klaus looks at her in disbelief, his eyes locks with hers, and then he burst out laughing. He can't help it, he just falls about with laughter. Caroline frowns at him, not knowing whether she should feel offended by this reaction, but soon she finds herself laughing with him. It's the purest, most sincere laugh she's had in months. They both get the ridiculousness of their predicament, almost comedy-like situation. Two headstrong fighting lawyers married in Vegas while drunk. This is what Karma is really about.

"Isn't it fucked up." Caroline shakes her head.

"You are the divorce know-it-all. What do we do now?" He mocks her.

"Normally the separation period lasts two years. But we'll sign a special affidavit which will reduce the waiting to six months. Then we'll get a quiet, no-fault divorce, and voila! You'll be free to go back to your life of a ladykiller." She stick her tongue out at him. Klaus likes how her nose wrinkles when she does that.

"And you'll go back to... What?" He chuckles, but it shoots her right in the head. It's a good question, Caroline thinks as her face falls. What's waiting for her back there, when all is said and done?

"Well, I don't know," her smile faints, "I guess I'll be back to looking for the right guy in the right place in the right time. I'll try not to repeat the same mistakes. Maybe next time I'll do everything the right way."

"What do you mean, the right way?"

"You know, I'll meet a nice guy that doesn't have a despotic mother." She grimaces, but the sour expression is soon replaced by a dreamy smile. "We'll date, I'll fall in love with him, he'll propose, and we'll live happily ever after with two kids. And a dog, of course, a dog is a must." Caroline winks at him. This is what her life is supposed to be like. Her mind is set on doing everything by the book. A nice guy and a reasonable dating period. Then a wedding with a lot of white flowers scattered all around. Tyler wasn't the right guy, but it doesn't mean Mr. Right doesn't exist.

Klaus sighs. Of course, she's a perfectionist. Her life is an event she has designed from A to Z, without any departures from the plan. She would never stoop so low as to marry a stranger and then think about a possible relationship between them. Klaus is the one that would never play that game of dating a woman the traditional way, with flowers and chocolates and other tricks. He's just not moulded this way. _Conventional_ is not in his blood.

"I hope you get what you wish for, Caroline." He says, a hint of resignation in his voice, imperceptible to anyone but him. There's an awkward pause before he looks at her again, "Friends, then?"

An enormous burden is lifted off Caroline's chest. She tilts her chin pretending to give it a lot of thought before she nods smiling, "Friends."

:-:

Getting back to reality feels like leaving a theatre. The show is gone, and only the feeling of being in another, magical world lingers in your head. Caroline liked that play even though she was the one on the stage. Now it's time to face a bunch of new clients. Desperate, raging, or suicidal divorcees. And in six months she's going to join the team. Caroline fears the moment when she'll get the taste of her own medicine.

Klaus doesn't say much. Since they landed he's been relaxed around her, but somehow in a sad way. They did joke a lot on the plane, but as soon as they touched the ground in Chicago he has grown rather gloomy. He liked the show too.

It's 7 in the morning and they both feel jet-lagged. They decide to stop for a coffee at the small airport cafe. Neither of them is in a rush to start working again, or so the official excuse sounds like. They both know they won't be spending time together once they get home and throw themselves back in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. None of them will ever admit they will miss it.

"Why corporate law?" Caroline inquires between the sips of espresso. "I always thought it was boring."

"It's business. Business equals money. And you have no idea what's going on inside those companies. Sometimes it's better than the movies." He grins. "I always thought divorce cases were boring, always the same."

"They are many things, but boring for sure isn't one of them." She laughs thinking about all those cases she had. Every single one was a unique story of love, and often about its end. "Think about Katherine and Damon."

"Yeah, they're definitely not boring. If all your cases look like theirs, then I should think about changing the field."

Then they hear the sound of Caroline's phone ringing in her bag. "Speaking of..." She pouts before picking up. They haven't spoken since their post-Vegas argument. "Katherine. How nice to hear you early in the morning." Caroline's voice is dripping with irony. Klaus smirks.

"Finally! Where have you been, Caroline?"

"In London. With Klaus. Not that you care."

"Caroline, dear, let bygones be bygones. You know I love you!" Katherine chirps on the other side. "And I have exciting news for you!"

Caroline rolls her eyes. "I'm dying to know."

"I'm pregnant!" Caroline spits espresso on the table. "Looks like Sex Vegas bore fruit!"

"Wow. That's... great. That's great, Kat, really!" Caroline smiles after overcoming the first shock, and she makes a gesture around her stomach to let Klaus know what's going on. He goggles at her, but then he gives her two thumbs up. "Klaus says _congratulations_ too."

"It's still too early to spread the word, you know what they say about the first months, but I felt that I just needed to tell you, hun. I'm seeing you tomorrow at lunch. No excuses!" Katherine announces and hangs up just in case Caroline comes up with some lame work-related reason to turn her down.

Caroline and Klaus smile at each other. The Salvatores gearing up for parenthood are going to be a lot of fun. And surely Caroline and Klaus will be both involved in the whole process.

Suddenly Caroline turns as pale as a ghost. Her frightened eyes bore into Klaus. Something has just occurred to her, and Klaus feels he's not going to like it.

"Caroline, what's wrong?"

"Did we... Did we use protection in Vegas?" She chokes out. "Tell me we did."

Klaus' jaw drops, and then he gulps.

.

.

.

**A/N**: Trololo.


	11. Iucundum est narrare sua mala

**Chapter 11**

**Iucundum est narrare sua mala**:

A problem shared is a problem halved.

.

.

.

Light years pass as Klaus sits down waiting for Caroline at the doctor's office. People bustle around, but Klaus looks frozen like a statue of some philosopher, deep in thought. He's floating in the space considering all the options he has. Usually, when the thought about being a father crosses Klaus' mind, it is accompanied by a strong feeling of repugnance and dismay. How could he ever raise a kid when all he used to do in the past was getting his own brother into trouble. He is a far cry from being a role model for some tiny whiny copy of himself.

Besides, how do you even handle babies? A baby is not a goldfish. It's definitely louder. It needs more attention, and obviously craves a different kind of affection than the adults. Klaus can't even date the regular way. He either has a mindless sex for sport or marries a fellow lawyer in Vegas while drunk.

So much for life's equilibrium.

He's back to reality when a weight falls on the chair next to him. Caroline's face, with its paleness and visible signs of physical exhaustion, resembles an old scripture. For a moment she looks ten years older. Tired.

So this is it, Klaus thinks. He wanted to bond with her, but instead he's just tied Caroline to him the worst way possible. Life isn't a love story in which two people raise together a baby and fall in love. Caroline might even love that baby, but she will always see Klaus as the biggest complication in her life.

"So, any baby names coming to mind?" He sighs propping his elbows on his knees.

"Dr. Flemming says it's an ovarian cyst." Caroline mutters, her voice bleak.

"Oh." Klaus needs a second to process the data. An apologetic frown appears on his face. "Don't worry. We're gonna love it either way."

Caroline's doesn't respond for a while as she stares blankly at the wall. Then she turns to him with an incredulous look in her eyes, and snorts, "Have you just cracked a joke?"

Klaus stares at Caroline wide-eyed. "Yeah. I guess I have."

"Good. It was good." She nods, the corners of her mouth finally curling upwards. Hiding her face in her hands, she lets out a quiet laugh. He smiles watching her giggle, but then the laugh turns into hoarse, uneven breathing. Then it turns into quiet sobbing. When Caroline takes her hands off her face, her eyes are puffy from crying, her lips swollen, her nose red. A heartbreaking mess, that's what she is right now. And Klaus can't understand this sudden mood change.

"It's okay, love." He half-asks-half-assures her. Truth be told, he's not so sure. He saw Caroline cry before, but not it's not anger that drives her now. It's fear. In one second a lioness becomes a scared lamb. Caroline's hands are shaking as they brush over her pale lips. She rocks back and forth.

"I don't want to go to hospital." Her whisper is barely audible. If Klaus wasn't looking at her flesh and blood here, he'd think he's hearing a ghost whispering. "Please."

"They will discharge you before you even notice."

"You don't understand. You don't understand." Shaking her head nervously, she squeezes her eyes. "I hate hospitals." Her chest heaves with every deep breath she takes. Klaus swallows hard. Caroline looks like she's hyperventilating, having a panic attack.

"Caroline?" He asks warily. She turns to face him and Klaus' jaw drops at the sight of tears streaming down her cheeks. He carefully stretches his arm and wraps it around her, then slowly pulls her closer. When her head rests on his shoulder, he asks tenderly, "Do you want to tell me about it?"

"No."

Klaus just nods."Let's get you home, then." A loud sniff is Caroline's way to say _yes_.

He takes her by the hand, and she lets him keep it.

:-:

She's scheduled for a laparoscopy. It's just a minor surgery, her doctor tells her. If Caroline hadn't come to the clinic , the cyst would have eventually provoked some pseudo-pregnancy symptoms. Nausea, weight gain, breast tenderness.

"Just imagine how much we would freak out then." She muses as they wait for the green light. Klaus notices the _we_, but he doesn't say anything and keeps his eyes on the road. She stares through the window, gathering her thoughts that lay shattered in the nooks and crannies of her mind. It's been the most intense time in her life. And it could have gone even crazier.

"I know you were less than keen about that... possibility." She sees Klaus' knuckles tense around the steering wheel. "I don't blame you. I wasn't prepared either."

"It's not about being prepared." He mutters under his breath. "It's about being predisposed."

"Wait," the more she stares at him with those big eyes the more his own get fixed on the road, "You think... you'd be a bad father?"

SCREECH. BEEP. The car before them halts abruptly, and so does Klaus. Caroline clutches at the seatbelt.

"Can we talk about this later?" He says through the gritted teeth. "Or, I don't know, _never_?"

"Listen, my mom wasn't the best mom in the world, but I still think I would make a good mother." She argues.

"I'm afraid my relationship with my father was a bit more complex than your family history."

Caroline purses her lips. Is he trying to prove something to her? "Maybe so. But I wouldn't use it as an excuse to walk away from my responsibility."

Angry, Klaus takes a turn to the left and pulls over. They stop at a parking lot by yet another McDonald's in the city. Ironically enough, kids are playing around the building, sliding down a small slide, and making funny faces to a plastic red-and-yellow clown on the bench.

"I wasn't planning to walk away, damn it! I would take care of you and the baby!" He shoots, making Caroline jump in her seat. Seeing her astonished face, he takes a deep breath to calm himself down before he continues, "I just didn't want this to end like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you hating me for screwing up your life." He looks down at his knees avoiding her look. "Just when things got better. We were finally getting over Vegas."

Caroline bites her lower lip. That's true, they are finally getting over what happened between them in Vegas. But this doesn't mean she is getting over his presence in her life. Quite the opposite.

"You wouldn't have screwed it up." This time it's Caroline that looks away. "You would have changed it, but you wouldn't have screwed it up. Now take me home, please."

They stay quiet for the rest of the ride. If they can't sort out their own problems, maybe silence will do it for them.

:-:

To say Damon's excited would be a misunderstanding. The man is on a fatherhood high right now. A ticking bomb, if you ask Klaus.

"And what if it's a girl? And if she gets her temper from Katherine? Jesus!" He gulps the vodka shot down. Klaus can't stop himself from laughing at every father's nightmares Damon's going through. It's just too funny."I will have to follow her with a gun and take down every son of a bitch that comes close to her!"

"You mean all the guys that act like you used to before you got married?" Klaus quips. The sadistic glare he gets from Damon oscillates between breaking bones and first degree murder.

"Yeah. That's what I meant." Damon spits. "Speaking about marriage. How's the married life?"

Klaus doesn't know why he never explained to Damon what really happened. Probably it's the same mysterious reason why Caroline kept Katherine in the dark.

"I can't complain."

"You _can't_ _complain_?" Damon grimaces pouring alcohol into a shot glass. "Are you kidding me? Honeymoon sex is the best sex ever!" He waves the glass in front of him squinting his eyes at it. "Best. Sex. Ever."

"Best sex ever?" Klaus shakes his head. Well, he does have a feeling that he's missing out on all the fun. Unfortunately.

"Well, there's a lot of cuddling, sweet talk, cooking, and stuff. But yeah. Sex. Who cares about cooking anyway."

"I do hope your daughter doesn't fall for some Damon v. 2.0."

Damon feels the liquid burn his throat when he becomes enlightened. "That's it! She won't!" He gestures at the waiter to bring over another bottle. Klaus rolls his eyes when he pictures himself coming home completely sloshed. A real wife would probably nag at him and whack him on the head for coming in such a state, pestering the life out of him.

Damon's voice ring in Klaus' ears. Klaus stares at the pair of big, incredibly pale blue eyes that stare at him back in awe. "Guess what? You'll get Caroline pregnant! And your son will marry my daughter! Problem eliminated!" Now when Klaus thinks of it, it's not revelation what Damon's just experienced. It's a moment of sheer madness. Damon grabs Klaus' wrist and nods at him conspiratorially. "Start working on it as soon as possible. Maybe there won't be a huge gap between them!"

"You want me to have a kid so you can marry your daughter off to someone trustworthy?"

"Brilliant, isn't it? My princess will be safe!" Damon grins at Klaus proudly like a dog that just torn your favourite book to shreds and is unaware of the consequences.

"I better get you a cab, Your Majesty."

"My littlee princeesssss!"

:-:

His legs take him to a few bars. Now, without Damon, Klaus can think clearly about his life and his choices. It's been a while since Klaus wandered around the streets of Chicago at night. It used to be a kind of a foreplay before he and some beauty got to the final destination and—yes, let's be honest here—fucked like rabbits. It was a routine that kept his mind and body in check. He was content. Satisfied with his life.

And then he got married.

Damn it, he got married to one and only Caroline Forbes. That woman is like a virus. He can't easily get her out of his mind. And the treatment is going to be as painful as the illness itself. The virus has befriended the host after all.

It's around midnight when his phone starts buzzing in his pocket. Rolling his eyes at the caller, he picks up.

"You incessant woman."

"Nik!" Rebekah squeaks. "Finn's a father!" Happy news is followed by a symphony of sniffing and mumbling. All Klaus can make out of Rebekah's emotional explosion is that Finn and Sage have twins, a boy and a girl, and Rebekah is overjoyed even though she's going to die alone surrounded by a bunch of cats that will eventually eat her corpse.

"Looks like it's raining babies today." He groans throwing a bill at the counter and leaves the bar.

After an hour of maundering he finds himself in front of the old building where Caroline lives. That certainly wasn't a part of the plan. But the light is still on in her room. So inviting. Against his better judgement, his drunk body enters the building, and Klaus' brain is too blitzed to put up resistance. The fist knocks against the door before the brain can even register it.

Unsteady footsteps echo on the other side of the door. She must have looked through the peephole because before the door creaks open he hears her surprised voice, "Klaus?" Caroline appears in the doorway wearing a thin silk bathrobe that probably hides even thinner nightdress underneath. Her hair is up in a messy bun, and Klaus can't help but marvel how beautiful she looks without any makeup on. He did see her once _au naturel_ in London, but now he can fully admire her impeccable skin.

"What are you doing here?" She frowns.

"I wanted to check on you. How are you feeling?"

"Better, I guess." Her body betrays her as she crosses her arms in denial of her own words.

"Wanna talk about the hospital trauma?"

"No. Wanna talk about your daddy issues?"

"No." He puts his hands up, giving up. "I just want you to know that if you need any help, just tell me."

"Klaus, don't feel obliged to help me. We aren't really married, after all." Caroline states the obvious, and to her own astonishment, the words that come out of her mouth hurt. The bitter truth, the realization that finally dawns on her—it all hurts. Frozen right there in the doorframe, she stares blankly at him, her lips parted in confusion.

Klaus, lost in reflection, looks at his feet while chewing her words over. Caroline would sell her soul to know what he's thinking at the moment. Finally he nods-to himself rather than at Caroline—and all the gloom disappears from his face.

"I'm offering my help as a friend, Caroline. And I think right now you could use some friends. How many do you have?"

"I have... Katherine." She mumbles.

"Who's too preoccupied with her pregnancy to notice any other signs of life on Earth, you included."

"And Bonnie. We started the office together."

"So where's your Bonnie now?"

Caroline sighs, checkmated. "On vacation in Texas with her boyfriend. They're visiting her mom."

"Any other friends?" There's no way she could fight with that puckish smile of his that creeps over his mouth. It could unlock any door, be it a castle or a safe. His head droops slightly, and his deep blue eyes stare right into hers. And those dimples, dear God.

"You... You reek of alcohol, my _friend_." Caroline sniffs wrinkling her nose, seeking distraction. She stands there with her arms still crossed, hoping she looks intimidating enough to fend off any naughty thought that might come to her mind. Or his.

"I was with Damon."

"That explains why he got home as drunk as a lord. I was at Kat's when he burst in and demanded—wait for it—a royal wedding! I had no idea what he was talking about!" She snorts.

"He's just making a plan B in case it's a girl." Then Klaus remembers why he's actually at Caroline's. "Speaking of. Rebekah called. Finn and Sage have twins."

Caroline instantly turns into a ball of joy. Even if her life isn't perfect, she's always happy to hear good news. Not thinking much, she throws her arms around Klaus' neck, hugging him. "Oh my God! That's great!" She squeaks.

Klaus instinctively wraps his arms around her form. Just when Caroline realizes her gesture was awkward and she's about to release him, he hugs her back. Maybe it's alcohol, or maybe it's just an excuse, but he holds her a tad too long for it to be a friendly hug. There's a slight blush on Caroline's cheeks when they finally part. She tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, an undeniable sign of embarrassment, and clears her throat.

"Would you like to come in?" She blurts out, distracted. "Have a drink?" Don't ask her why she's just offered him this. She has no idea either.

Klaus sways on his feet. If he stays, he will try to fight his way through the friendzone she put him in. When he looks at her dressed in thin satin, all her curves visible, he knows he can't stay—for her good and his own. He should—no, he _has to_ show enough restraint to back off while he still can. If he goes for a kiss now, he'll ruin everything.

"I should go home. I'm kinda drunk."

"Yeah." She giggles nervously.

"Yeah."

"Goodnight then."

"Goodnight Caroline."

When Klaus is gone, Caroline leans against the door and lets out a sigh of relief. The more she thinks about that man, the more scared of her own thoughts she gets. It's not that she doesn't want his help because she doesn't like him. She doesn't want his help because she starts to like him a bit too much.

Somehow Klaus Mikaelson grew on her like a habit—good or bad, she can't say.

:-:

The control freak hiding in the shadows of Caroline's personality takes over for the next two days. She barely sleeps trying to prepare for the cases. She got six new clients after her name paired with Klaus' last name popped out in the newspapers. Six broken hearts, or rather—six angry hearts. And angry hearts demand blood of the wrongdoers. It's going to be a very busy week before Caroline goes to hospital, but she's glad. It helps her keep her mind off the surgery and her husband. Especially her husband. No calls, no messages. She's been trying not to think about him for two days. Oh how she sucks at trying.

She's going through some files she's taken home when somebody knocks—too vigorously, if you ask her—on her door. Before she gets to the door fixing her hair on the way in case it's Klaus (yes, seriously, this is the first thought that comes to her mind), the knocking turns into pounding. This makes her a bit concerned about the stranger's intentions. She opens the door and finds a man around her age, maybe a bit older, standing there, holding a briefcase like some kind of weapon. Caroline knows this type. Serious face, perfect hair, cunning stare.

"Good evening." His tone suggests the evening's going to change soon. "My name is Logan Fell. I'm a lawyer."

"Obviously." She raises an eyebrow at him. "Caroline Forbes." She shakes her head, "I mean, Mikaelson."

The man nods like he doesn't give a damn about her problem with identity. "I'm here on behalf of Mrs. Jules Bradbury, the granddaughter of Mrs. Mary Cohen. I must inform you about Mrs. Cohen's death."

Caroline's eyes widen and fill up with tears immediately as she covers her mouth with her hand. She gestures at Fell to come inside, unable to say anything because the words get stuck in her throat. Mrs. Mary Cohen was a wonderful, kind-hearted woman. When her beloved husband died, she decided to rent out the apartment in which they have lived together for over forty years. She moved to the outskirts, but she still visited Caroline from time to time. She used to say that Caroline reminded her of her young self. It was one of the biggest compliments Caroline ever heard.

"I'm... I'm so sorry." She tries to hold back tears. "I didn't—"

"Yes. Thank you." Logan Fell says dryly cutting her off. "But let's get down to business, shall we. The rental agreement you signed states that in the case of Mrs. Cohen's death the agreement terminates along with the month of her death." The man moves like a robot, putting the briefcase down on the table in her living room. He finds the documents and hands them to Caroline with a shadow of a triumphant smile on his face. She's so stunned she just takes the papers and stares down at them.

"Which means, you have three days to move out, Mrs. Forbes-slash-Mikaelson." He brushes the speck of dust off his briefcase and closes it with a click.

"Wait, what?" Caroline comes to her senses after the moment of grieving. There'll be time for that later. Now she needs to show this asshole the way out. Preferably through the window. "I am going to hospital in a few days. I need more time. I'll pay the rent for the next month. What difference does one month make?"

Logan Fell seems unmoved by Caroline's pleading stare. "The apartment must be free till the end of the month. Mrs. Bradbury has plans."

"Please. One month."

"I didn't come here to negotiate, Mrs. Mikaelson."

Caroline's tone gets harsh. "You _can't _do this to me."

"I can't see why not."

"I won't give up. I'm a lawyer."

"Really. Who would have thought. Now, please, don't bother, I'll see myself out." He brushes past Caroline, his face sickeningly smug. "Have a good night."

Caroline is left in her living room, speechless and desperate. She falls down on the couch clutching at her head. Looks like it just isn't her year. Every time she thinks she's finally back in the game, she gets her ass kicked. And now? What now? How is she going to find an apartment in three days while preparing for the cases and packing for the hospital? She has years of her life stored in this apartment!

The first thing a desperate woman does is cry in anger. Then she cries out of the overwhelming helplessness.

_How many friends do you have?_

When she started dating Tyler, she lost contact with many friends or so-called friends, or very resourceful people in general. He was a very absorbing fiancé, she must say. With a trembling hand, Caroline picks her phone and starts staring at it, looking for the answer. The phone remains obstinately silent and unyielding against her threatening glare. It's time to face the truth. She's left with two unavailable friends and a husband. Oh joy.

Defeated, she finally dials a number. "Klaus? H-Hi. Yeah, I'm fine." She squeezes her eyes, preparing for a metaphorical blow. "Listen, if your offer of help still stands, I would like to ask you a favour."

:-:

**A/N: **I'm the trollest of them all. I know. Still, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Tell me you love me or kick my ass, I'm gonna love you either way.


End file.
